AYRSHIRE CATTLE. 197 



Ayrshire cow will do, says "she yields much milk, and that of an oily or buty- 

 raceous, or caseous nature, and after she has yielded very large quantities of 

 milk for several years she shall be as valuable for beef, as any other breed 

 of cows known ; her fat shall be much more mixed through the flesh, and she 

 shall fatten faster than any other." 



Whatever may be said in regard to the extent of these claims, it will be ad- 

 mitted that they indicate the confidence which was long ago placed in the 

 breed in regard to the properties mentioned. 



Youatt, who wrote twenty-five years after Alton, says : " The breed has 

 been much improved since Mr. Alton described it." It is upwards of thirty 

 years since Mr. Youatt made this remark, and in this time the breed has been 

 still further improved in reference to general usefulness. 



It is the unanimous testimony of the most experienced breeders in Scotland, 

 that while nothing has been lost on the score of dairy properties, considerable 

 has been gained in hardiness and thrift, and in the faculty of giving a greater 

 return both in milk and flesh, for the food consumed. 



The common course in Scotland with calves of the Ayrshire breed that are 

 not wanted for keeping up the dairy stock, is to fatten them for veal, or turn 

 them for beef at an early age. The larger portion perhaps of the males are 

 killed for veal. In some districts the fattening of calves is an object of con- 

 siderable importance, and the superiority of Ayrshire cows for producing the 

 best quality of veal is acknowledged. Thus Haxton observes, " for all 

 medium soils and climates throughout the United Kingdom, there is no breed 

 equal to the Ayrshire for profit whether the produce is converted into cheese, 

 butter, or veal. Scotch farmers, who are in the practice of fattening stock of 

 various breeds, state that Ayrshire steers at the age of three to three and a 

 half years fatten to as much profit as any, reaching the weight of 700 to 800 

 pounds, the four quarters, and affording beef excelled in quality only by the 

 West Highlanders and Galloways. The cow Ada, imported and owned by 

 H. H. Peters, of Southboro,' Massachusetts, was slaughtered about the first of 

 April, 1863. Her dressed Aveight was as follows : beef, 882 pounds ; tallow. 

 Ill pounds ; hide, 70 pounds ; making a total of 1,009 pounds. The quality 

 of the beef was pronounced by all who tried it superior to any they had 

 before tasted, being high -flavored, fine-grained, and well marbled. This cow 

 was seven years old. 



Few trials have yet been made with the Ayrshires in reference to fattening 

 in this country, as most of the males have been kept for bulls, and the females 

 have seldom been turned for beef till too far advanced in years to breed. As 

 they become more numerous, however, the males will be more frequently cas- 

 trated, and their value for beef, and also for labor, will be ascertained. Some 

 breeders of the stock are now rearing steers, with the intention of working 

 them in the yoke. There is no reason why Ayrshire oxen should not be equal 

 to any of their size for labor. They arc about the size of Devons, have clean 

 strong legs, well placed muscles, and are generally very quick walkers. 



Among the earlier importations of Ayrshires into this country were those of 

 the " Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture," about 1835 or 1836. 

 A bull imported at this time was kept for one season or more in the neighbor- 

 hood of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Mr. C. N. Bement, who then had a farm 

 in the vicinity of Albany, New York, and was breeding Short-horns, sent some 

 cows of the latter breed to the Ayrshire bull alluded to, and reared several 

 cows of this cross, with which he was so well pleased that he afterwards im- 

 ported or obtained some full-blood Ayrshires, which be kept and bred from for 

 several years, finally disposing of the stock to E. P. Prentice, of Albany, New 

 York. 



In 1844 the '♦ Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture " made 

 another and larger importation of Ayrshires, and in 1858 they imported tea 



