136 ON THE AYKSHIEE BREED OF CATTLE. 



old, and 32 rising two years old. Surplus milk, formerly made 

 into Cheddar cheese, but now into Dunlop. Many of the 

 animals are noted prize-winners. 



It would serve no useful purpose to enter into a long list of 

 the names of breeders in each county ; suffice it to say that there 

 are in most of them many pioneers, who are sparing neither pains 

 nor expense to bring the Ayrshire to the highest possible state of 

 perfection. 



It may be mentioned that here and there a herd of Ayrshires 

 has been planted on the English side of the border. Mr Alex- 

 ander M'Caw, of Greysouthen, near Cockermouth, Cumberland, 

 has a standing dairy of 100 Ayrshire cattle, the produce of which 

 is mostly made into cheese, for which there is great demand, as 

 cheese-making is a branch of husbandry very little understood 

 or practised by the north of England farmer. 



Prices of young stock vary according to age and qu.ality, and 

 milch cows range from L.12 or L.14 to L.18 cr L.20. For good 

 bulls, high figures are occasionally given. 



Points of Ayrshire Cattle. 



The modern Ayrshire has well defined characteristics, which 

 are unmistakable by the observer wheti once understood. The 

 horns are small, wide apart at the base, have an upward inclina- 

 tion and a graceful curve inwards. The head is small ; the neck 

 long and fine where it joins the head, but gradually thickening 

 to where it is set upon the shoulders. The forequarters in 

 general are thin, the body developing gradually towards the 

 hinder parts. The colour is brown, mixed more or less with red,, 

 the markings being clearly defined ; while the skin is soft, pliant, 

 and pleasingly elastic to the touch. The thighs are deej) and 

 broad, and the legs short. The udder is large without being 

 flaccid ; well developed without being cumbersome. Indeed, the 

 general contour of the Ayrshire betokens milking capacities of 

 no mean order. There is very little coarseness about the true 

 breed, most of the points being what connoisseurs call " good." 



The most approved form of the best milkers is thus described 

 by Mr Alton : — Head small, but rather long and narrow at the 

 muzzle ; the eye small, but quick and lively ; the horns small, 

 clear, bended, and the roots at a considerable distance from each 

 other ; neck long and slender, and tapering towards the head, 

 with little loose skin hanging below ; shoulders thin ; forequarters 

 light and thin ; hindquarters large and capacious ; back straight, 

 broad behind, and the joints and chine rather loose and open ; 

 carcass deep, and the pelvis capacious and wide over the hips ; 

 tail long and small ; legs small and short, with firm joints ; udder 

 capacious, broad, and square, stretching forwards, and neither 

 fleshy, low hung, nor loose, witli the milk- veins large and pro- 

 minent; teats short, and at a considerable distance from each 



