144 ON THE AYRSHIRE BREED OF CATTLE. 



highly fed, the returns afford no fair criterion of the ordinary 

 milking capacities of an Ayrshire cow. 



At a milking competition in Holland, held in the year 1872, 

 three Ayrshires gave 5386 quarts during the season, being an 

 average of 1795^ each, or4i-Vo- quarts per day for the whole year. 

 The rich grasses of Holland, however, tend to make the cattle 

 produce fat rather than milk. 



It is said that an Ayrshire cow, bred by Mr Finley of Monk- 

 land, near Glasgow, gave 36 quarts daily for six months. This, 

 reckoned at one shilling per imperial gallon, amounts to L. 8 1. The 

 cow was, doubtless, a wonderful exception. It is further stated 

 that the cow was sold to go to Beacon Farm, America, and that 

 a year ago, after producing her thirteenth calf, was giving 23 

 quarts daily. Her progeny have been scattered over Georgia, 

 Mississippi, and Tennessee, and their descendants are eagerly 

 bought up by the dairymen of Yankeeland. 



The milk of the breed in question is exceedingly rich in 

 quality. Its predominant feature consists in the large globules 

 which it contains, and its adaptability for either butter or cheese 

 making. Still two distinct classes of cattle might be selected — 

 butter and cheese makers. The latter furnish a large secretion 

 •of milk, containing a smaller globule, and more numerous granules 

 than does the milk from the butter family. Many cattle possess 

 both the butter and cheese making faculties in a remarkable 



-'& 



egree. 



Tlie Making of Cheese. 



The limited space at command in this paper precludes the 

 possibility of entering into a lengthened dissertation on cheese- 

 making; it, however, may be stated that there are two systems — 

 the time-honoured Dunlop, and the Cheddar system, each of 

 which has its zealous advocates. The latter has gained con- 

 siderable ground of late years, especially in large dairies. One 

 great advantage the Cheddar cheese has over the Dunlop is, that 

 it stands more heat in the cheese room, and is, consequently, 

 sooner ripe for market. The method of making Cheddar cheese 

 is brieHy as follows. Two meals of milk are taken together, the 

 cold milk being heated until the temperature of the whole — 

 cold and new — reaches 90 degrees. The colouring is then added, 

 next the rennet, with a little sour whey ; the whole, after being 

 well stirred, is allowed to stand till thickened, which should 

 be in an hour or less. The curd is then broken. When reduced 

 into small pieces about half an inch square, it is left to stand a 

 little while to allow the whey to rise to the top. This done, the 

 whey is taken off and heated to 150 degrees. Meantime the 

 <}urd is broken quite as small as the grains of wheat. AVhen the 

 whey is heated it is again put on, thus raising the temperature of 



