188 



Missouri Agricultural lieport. 



regularly twice a day, and in most herds the milkers are rotated around 

 the herd in a regular- order, so that a cow is not milked twice in suc- 

 cession by the same person. This is the universal practice followed in 

 Scotland, the explanation of it being that if there are any poor milkers, 

 they will not spoil a given number of individual cows. In this particu- 

 lar, Scotland is unique, as in all other dairy countries visited, each 

 milker milks the same cows regularly. Scotch dairymen admit that if 

 all the milkers are good, it is best to have them milk the same cows reg- 

 ularly, but if some of the milkers are poor, it is best to rotate them in 

 this manner. 



There are two types of Ayrshires in Scotland; the show type and 



the producing type. The show 

 type has l^een developed for the 

 show ring, and bred for beauty 

 alone. The genuine show udder 

 must be compact and closely at- 

 tached, both before and behind. 

 The sole nuist be flat, with no in- 

 dentations between the teats, and 

 the udder must not protrude be- 

 hind, l)ut be carried up even witli 



Ayrshires, the dairy cow of Scotland. ji ii • i in n t 



the thighs, and have small cylin- 

 drical teats, evenly placed on the flat bottom. This is the only kind of 

 udder that can be shown many years in succession and not become too 

 pendent for the show ring. Any intelligent dairyman knows that this 

 type of udder is fleshy and does not belong to the best producers. This 

 craze for tight, close, shallow udders started in the show ring about 

 twenty-five years ago. It has been of untold damage to the Ayrshire 

 breed, and has split the breeders into two factions — one of which is 



Ayrshires waiting for the milking hour. 



breeding for show, and the other for production. The breeders who 

 are breeding for production belong to test associations and keep ac- 

 curate records of their cows. The latter cows have good udders that 

 milk well away, and large, soft teats that are easily milked. One of 

 the best authorities in Scotland upon this subject says: ''The show ring- 

 has been a curse to the Ayrshire breed. Ayrshires would be a different 



