Mccrostie, John , Farmer, “Bon-keid,” New River Valley, Spar Bush. Mr McCrostie was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in 1853, and has always followed a farming life. With his father, the late Mr John McCrostie, who died at Spar Bush in 1877, he landed at the Bluff on Christmas Eve, 1864, by the ship “Donna Anita.” Mr McCrostie has resided at “Bonkeid” most of the time since landing in the colony, and has been well known as a breeder of Border Leicester sheep, having had an interest with Mr Robert Greive in originally - imported stock In 1885 these gentlemen divided their flock, and Mr McCrostie has since continued breeding on his own account. He has imported sheep on several occasions, and has been a regular exhibitor in Southland, and occasionally in Canterbury. For years he has been a director of the Southland Agricultural and Pastoral Society, has also been a director of the Caledonian Society since its inception, and has served on the Spar Bush school committee for over thirty years. Mr McCrostie was married, in 1878, to a daughter of Mr Robert Greive, of Branxholm, and has two sons and three daughters.