56 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



country, where the moist climate causes the pasturage to be fresher and greener than ours, 

 and where, owing to the modifying influence of the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, a more 

 equable temperature prevails than in this country, there being less extremes of heat and cold. 

 As a breed they are not as docile as some others, being naturally inclined to be irritable 

 in disposition. For this reason they are not as desirable for working oxen, although this 

 objection may be overcome to a certain extent by kind and gentle treatment. 



Description. In size, the Ayrshires are smaller than the Short-Horns, and although 

 resembling them somewhat in contour, they are not as symmetrical. The breed is small, fine, 

 and clean; the face long and narrow at the muzzle; forehead wide; eyes rather small and 

 lively in expression; horns wide apart where they join the head, of medium length, inclining 

 upwards, and curving slightly inward; neck long, slender, and straight, free from loose skin 

 underneath; shoulders thin at the top; fore-quarters light in front but increasing in depth 

 and width backwards; hind-quarters large; back short and straight, broad behind, joints 

 rather loose and open; ribs rather flat; carcass deep; pelvis broad and hips wide apart. Tail 

 long and slender, and set on a level with the back; udder capacious and extending well for 

 ward; teats of medium size, set wide apart; milk veins well developed; legs short with firm 

 joints; bones fine; skin thin and elastic, covered with soft, woolly hair. In color they vary 

 considerably, red and white, spotted or mottled being the most common, the two colors pre 

 senting a striking contrast. They are sometimes brown and white, and black and white, and 

 occasionally, though not often, nearly or quite red; roans are also sometimes seen, also yellow 

 and white, but less frequently than the colors previously mentioned. 



Mr. Aiton says that the Ayrshire farmers prefer their dairy bulls according to the femi 

 nine aspect of the head and neck; also select for this purpose those that are not round behind, 

 but bowed at the hock-bones and hips, and full in the flanks. The Ayrshire makes a good 

 cross with the native or common stock of the country, and also with the Short-Horn. A 

 high-bred Short-Horn bull and a large-sized Ayrshire cow will produce a calf which, in the 

 opinion of good breeders, will come to maturity earlier and attain a greater weight, and con 

 sequently sell for more profit than a pure-bred Ayrshire. Such a cross will also produce 

 more symmetry of form than is found in the latter-mentioned breed. 



Dairy Characteristics, etc. For dairy purposes, the Ayrshire cow has long been 

 justly celebrated, her milk being rich in quality and large in quantity in proportion to her 

 size and the amount of food consumed. In their native country the Ayrshire is bred almost 

 exclusively for the dairy, and seldom for other objects. In this country the breed has 

 attained great favor, especially in New England and the Middle States, where at one time it 

 was regarded as having no superior for dairy use. To show what Ayrshires have accom 

 plished in milk production, we will give a few items of record, obtained from various authen 

 tic sources. 



The Ayrshire cow known as &quot; Old Creamer,&quot; was in her time the champion milch cow 

 of the world. She was owned by Hon. L. D. Hungerford, of Valley Park Farm, Adams, 

 N. Y., and won the first prize at tie New York State Fair in 1873, having yielded in three 

 days the enormous quantity of 304 Ibs. of good milk, as follows: June llth, 102^ Ibs.; June 

 12th, 100 Ibs.; and June 13th, 101| Ibs. She gave 2,820^ Ibs. of milk in the month of June, 

 an average of over 94 Ibs. per day; 2,483 in the month of July, an average of over 80 Ibs. 

 per day; and in the month of August, 75 Ibs. per day. She was at this time nine years old, 

 and weighed 1,080 Ibs. The following is the statement of Messrs. Sturtevant, of South 

 Framingham, Mass., giving the results attained in their dairy with the Ayrshire breed. 



&quot; Ayrshire cow Jennie, five years of age; last calved, August 29th. When four years 

 old she gave, for the first week of September, 143 pounds of milk; for the first week of 

 November, 128 pounds; total yield for the year, 5,870 pounds. 



