10 Aug.. 191 1.] 



Dexter Kerry Dairy Cattle. 



577 



DEXTEll KERRY DAIRY CATTLE. 



/. S. McF adzea)i, Senior Dairy Supervisor. 



A few photographs of Dexter Kerry cattle are reproduced herewith. 

 At the Melbourne Roval Agricultural Show last year the exhibits of this 

 class of dairy stock attracted much attention. Though this State was the 

 first of the Commonwealth to import the.se cattle, they have not made the 

 headway here that their good qualities would warrant ; and consequently 

 many people have not even seen them. 



In 1892. the late Mr. David Syme brought out from England a Dexter 

 Kerry bull and three females, but the stock from these were mostly pur- 

 cha.sed by breeders in the other States. The New South Wales Government 

 stud of this breed originated from Mr. Symt-'s importation. 



DEXTER BULL '" TOM TIT ' (2 years). 

 .Mai I. h Tom Thumb" (imp.) c'.\. " Xo. 12" by •'Denhain MelbouniL- " (imji.) 



At first glance, they appear small in compari.son with other dairy cattle. 

 a\m\ the farmer who likes a Ijig cow is apt to look on the Dexter Kerry 

 as .somewhat of a toy animal. Their appearance is, however, most decep- 

 tive. They are certainly a very low-set breed, being particularly short in 

 the lower leg, but they are very weighty ; and the cows are heavier than 

 many that would j)ass as average-sizerl animals in some dairy herds. 



Tn conformation, they .set at defiance the generally accepted rule that 

 a dairy cow should be somewhat lean in appearance, for they have nicely 

 rounded, v.cll-shaped and well-fleslied bodies. Their shortness of limb, 

 and exceptional rib and chest de\'elopment, ])reclude their having anything 

 like the fine-topped shoulder that is .so much fancier! in the taller milking 

 breeds; but even the admirer of the more spare-framed tvpe of dairy cow 

 cannot say that Iht typical Dexter is a coarse cow in any respect. 



