REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURE OF AYRSHIRE. 79 



dairy counties, — must not attach in any degree to the cows in that 

 they are unable to yield more, but should be placed mostly to 

 the general poor state of the grass, and somewhat to a deficiency 

 in house feeding. 



Much depends upon the assistant feeding for getting good 

 and regular yield of milk. It is possible that house food may be 

 given in such measure as that the cost will owergang the 

 profit, but with cheese selling at 12s. per 24 lbs., and good bean- 

 meal or maizemeal to be had under 20s. per 280 lbs., or oats for 

 15s. per qr., house feeding might be profitably increased over 

 that presently supplied on the majority of farms. Not only is 

 the quantity of milk increased from extra house feeding, but the 

 quality is also improved, and part of the expense is paid back 

 in the richer manurial composition of the dung. Salt given 

 regularly to dairy cows increases the flow of milk, besides 

 rendering the milk richer in butter and curd, and the allowance 

 to each in the best English dairy districts is from 3 to 4 oz. 

 never exceeding the 4 oz. ; yet such a beneficial practice is al- 

 most unknown in Ayrshire, although salt can be had at £M. per 

 cwt. Probably just as well, for the cows must have good allow- 

 ance of food when salt is given along with it. It excites an 

 appetite, and unless that appetite be supplied, the beasts lose 

 flesh even more rapidly. Mr. Thomson, of Grange, who manages 

 in every department most systematically, effects great saving of 

 fodder by having it cut into chaff, and often keeps his cows for 

 weeks together, without roots, by substituting 12 oz. of treacle 

 daily along with the cut straw and meal His average daily 

 allowance of beaumeal, whilst being given, is about 4£ lbs., and 

 of roots, 56 lbs. 



The cows, when put on the grass, qxq generally in the leanest 

 condition of body. They get in most cases literally nothing 

 Irom the time they dry up until a week or two before calving 

 but bare oat-straw and water, or, sometimes that equally nourish- 

 ing (!) food, thrashed rye-grass-hay, is substituted, if the oat- 

 straw runs short. And thus the summer-flush and best of the 

 grass, during May and June, mostly goes to reclothe with flesh 

 their wasted frames. Though it is their nature to secrete a large 

 quantity of milk for the first two or three months after calving, 

 the poor beasts are neither in condition of mind (so to speak), 

 nor of body, to yield milk freely and copiously. The cows now 

 in Ayrshire are nearly in all cases most comfortably housed — in 

 many cases better than their masters and mistresses — and are 

 generally well supplied with dry litter to lie on, and fresh clean 

 water to drink ; yet if a fuller allowance of more nutritious food 

 was given them, not only during their dry months, but through- 

 out the whole year, the cost would not be money thrown away : 

 " the cow gives her milk by the mouth." 



