JUDGING LIVE STOCK. 131 



best. No special improvers have come forth, but all breeders 

 have done more or less. In recent years, too much attention 

 has been paid to fancy points, such as the development of 

 horns of considerable length curved upward from the head; 

 but more reasonable views are beginning to prevail. A re- 

 quirement of the Scottish breeders in the recent past is that 

 the udder shall be held close to and on a level with the line 

 of the body, and that the teats shall be short. It is difficult 

 to account for this last point, and it is certain that the short 

 teats of he Ayrshire cow has damaged her popularity more 

 than all other factors. One reason given to account for the 

 preference for short teats in the Scottish show yards ascribes 

 it to the fact that most of the milking is done by girls who 

 prefer to "strip" with the thumb and two fingers rather than 

 to grasp the teat with the entire hand. Another and more 

 plausible one ascribes the preference of the Scottish breeders 

 for a close carried udder and short teats to the pasture on 

 which the cows run. The heather is high and coarse, and a 

 deep pendant udder with long teats would be kept so 

 scratched and injured by the high, coarse herbage that it 

 would be practically impossible to milk the cows. 



The milk of the Ayrshire cow is of medium richness in fat. 

 It is high in solids, and well adapted to cheesemaking. A 

 peculiarity of the milk is the fact that the fat globules are 

 very small much more so than in any other milk. For this 

 reason, the cream rises very slowly and imperfectly, but this 

 very characteristic makes the milk the more valuable to 

 men who sell milk for direct consumption, as it enables them 

 to furnish milk of uniform quality and of desirable appear- 

 ance. 



Originating in the introduction of Shorthorn, Holland, and 

 Alderney blood on native stock of inferior merit, and later 

 invigorated by a cross of West Highland stock, the Ayrshire 

 cattle made remarkably rapid improvement between 1750 and 

 1810; and since that time the improvement has been gradual 

 but steady, resulting in the production of the Ayrshire of 

 today a vigorous, hardy animal; well adapted to utilize 

 large amounts of coarse fodder, and returning a large flow of 

 milk of medium quality, especially well adapted to city trade. 



