PRODUCTION OF MILK. 



135 



Mr. Parris. There is one breed of cattle that I should be very 

 glad to hear the gentleman's opinion about, if he has had any 

 experience with them ; I mean the Ilerefords, which are regarded 

 in some parts of our State as being the first breed of cattle. 



Mr. Gold. 1 have had no personal experience with the Ilere- 

 fords. In my remarks I have confined myself almost entirely to 

 my own personal experience. I have bred Shorthorns, Devons 

 and Ayrshires, and their grades; I have not bred Jerse3 r s. As 

 for the Herefords, they are celebrated as beef-producing animals 

 rather than as milkers. 



I would remark, that in the valley of the Connecticut, there has 

 long been bred a family as it was supposed of Shorthorns, grade 

 Durhams, in fact, that were famous milkers. They were admit- 

 ted into the first edition of the old Shorthorn herdbook as thor- 

 oughbred Shorthorns. I owned one of these cows She gave, 

 before I owned her, thirty-six quarts of milk a day, and made 

 eighteen pounds of butter a week. More recent discoveries hare 

 proved that on one side that class of animals were descended from 

 the Ayrshires, and they have been excluded from the Shorthorn 

 herdbook. Still, they did more to establish the milking quality of 

 the Shorthorns and their reputation in the valley of the Connecti- 

 cut, probably, than anything else. 



Mr. Peirce. Is the Ayrshire cow better adapted to wettish 

 pastures, of which we have a great deal in Maine, than other 

 cattle ? 



Mr. Gold. It is claimed and admitted, that the Ayrshire is one 

 of the most hardy breeds of cattle that exist ; they will bear as 

 much neglect, ill-treatment and abuse as the native stock, although 

 they thrive better if they have good keeping. You can only 

 expect the highest result from any breed when you place them in 

 the most favorable conditions. But still if you have a place where 

 you want hardy animals the Ayrshires are as well adapted to it as 

 any other. 



Mr. Goodale. I would inquire of Mr. Gold if, in his description 

 of Shorthorns as a milking breed, he based his remarks, as I sup- 

 posed he did, on their general character throughout the country, 

 or whether he took into consideration anything exceptional with 

 regard to the history of the breed in this State ? 



Mr. Gold. I based my remarks solely upon the general history 

 and reputation of the breed throughout the country. 1 remarked 

 that we had some families of Shorthorns that were claimed to be 



