THE DAIRY BREEDS OF CATTLE 299 



As far as a dairy cow can be a beef animal, the Ayrshire 

 probably excels, for the reason that she is a little smoother 

 in conformation than the other dairy breeds, and the fat 

 of the carcass, instead of being yellow, which is objection- 

 able to the consumer, is white. 



An Ayrshire bull at the head of a grade herd will greatly 

 increase milk-production in its progeny. When used on 

 grade cows the standard of the herd will be materially 

 elevated. 



329. Distribution. The Ayrshires are practically the 

 only dairy cattle in Scotland, and nearly every country in 

 which dairying is an important industry has drawn heavily 

 on Scotland for foundation stock. The principal coun- 

 tries that are using Ayrshires are Canada, the United 

 States, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. They are 

 also found in considerable numbers in South Africa, New 

 Zealand, Australia, China and Japan. In America, the 

 breed is found in largest numbers in Quebec and Ontario, 

 in Canada, but it is fast becoming popular in eastern 

 United States, notably in the New England States, New 

 York and Pennsylvania. There are a few herds in Ohio, 

 Illinois, Missouri, Oregon and California. 



330. Organizations and records. The welfare and 

 interests of this race of cattle are in charge of the American 

 Ayrshire Breeders' Association, which was organized on 

 its present basis in 1875. The breeders of Ayrshires, how- 

 ever, have done systematic work for the breed through 

 the Association of Breeders of Thoroughbred Neat Stock, 

 as far back as 1859. The latter organization published 

 three volumes of a herd register. On the organization of 

 the former association, the publication of the Ayrshire 

 Records came into its hands. Since 1876 it has published 

 twenty-seven volumes (new series recording over 17,000 



