84 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURE OF AYRSHIRE. 



scale. This consists in the farmer letting his whole stock of 

 cows — or, if he holds two farms, the stock pasturing on the out- 

 fur m, it may be-^-to a professed milkman at so much per 

 head per annum. The farmer provides all requisite accom- 

 modation for the cows, and for manufacturing and storing the 

 produce: a dwelling-house for the "bower" and family; 

 all the dairy vessels and implements ; and as much summer 

 grazing, with certain specified weights of house food, as may be 

 agreed upon, — fodder and chaff being usually allowed at dis- 

 cretion : whilst the bower takes the whole charge and manage- 

 of the cows, and runs the risk of a greater or less return from the 

 season or other causes, but permitted to change the produce into 

 cash, by whatever system seems to him best. Any cow getting 

 blind in the paps, or otherwise hurt, is removed by the owner 

 and a fresh one supplied ; and the number of calves to be 

 brought up is according to bargain, or else a drawback is allowed 

 for each calf reared. Present rents per cow range between £8 

 and £11, but the rent much depends on the quality of the grass, 

 and the quantities of feeding stuffs and roots bargained for. 

 These rents enable us to see that, the cows set abowing must 

 generally give rather more than 5 Scots pints per day for out- 

 season ; but " the bowers " are sharp fellows, seldom taking 

 cows but on really good grazing farms, and with them the grass 

 is always supplemented by good allowance of house food. 



By the above practice the utmost is realized out the cows. 

 The bower and his w 7 ife, and daughters as well, perhaps, giving 

 their undivided and most careful attention to the dairy, can 

 make more by it than the owner possibly could do, with all the 

 other branches of farm business resting on his mind ; and these, 

 as well as the dairy-servants, needing constant and separate 

 oversight. Hardly will a dairy stock of cows make sufficient 

 return of profits for even the moderate maintenance of a family, 

 unless under the daily and steady supervision of the farmer him- 

 self occasionally, and of his wife and daughters at all times. 



From one-third to one-half of all the calves are annually 

 reared on each farm. These are generally quey-calves, excepting 

 perhaps one, or two bulls at most. The others are usually sold 

 to butchers as " slinks," and a wretched state of meat it is to 

 set before any rational being. The newly-dropt calves or 

 " slinks " ordinarily fetch from cis. to 7s. each, although 

 presently (March I860) they are selling at from 7s. to 9.-!., and 

 the farmer reeeives back the "yearning" or stomach. There 

 are always a few calves fed here and there, but veal feeding is' 

 tar from being common in Ayrshire. "With the good demand 

 existing, it is probably more profitable to make butter in the fore- 

 end of the season, till the cows are all calved and the grass well 

 forward. It is the gastric juice with which the skins of the 



