190 MILCH CATTLE THE AYRSHIRE 



district in which they were placed. The deep rings at the 

 bases of the horns indicated the hardships they annually 

 endured. The descriptions of this early condition of the 

 breed appear to indicate its relationship to the Bos longifrons. 



The Ayrshire of the present day, however, is very 

 different, the change having been brought about by crossing 

 with other breeds, by subsequent careful selection, and better 

 feeding and management, in addition to the natural tendency 

 which soil and climate admittedly have in developing and 

 maintaining certain qualities or characteristics. 



The breeds definitely mentioned in history as having 

 been imported and used in crossing with the native cattle, 

 are the Teeswater, or early Shorthorn, and the Alderney. 1 



"In 1750 the Earl of Marchmont purchased from the 

 Bishop of Durham several cows and a bull of the Teeswater 

 or some other English breed, of a light brown colour, spotted 

 with white ; these his lordship kept for some time at his seat 

 in Berwickshire. Bruce Campbell, who was the factor on his 

 lordship's estates in Ayrshire, carried some of the breed into 

 Kyle ; from thence their progeny spread throughout the 

 country. A bull from the stock was sold to John Hamilton 

 of Sundrum, who raised a numerous herd from that strain." 



" Stranger cattle " of unknown or unrecorded breeds were 

 imported by John Dunlop of Dunlop House, " John Orr of 

 Barrowsfield, and other dairy farmers." And in probably more 

 recent times West Highland crosses have been taken into the 

 breed. The resemblance of the Cadzow and the Chillingham 

 Park Wild Cattle to certain strains of the Ayrshire breed in 

 horn, in colour, and in form points to a Wild Forest breed con- 

 nection. The improvement in the milking qualities was no 

 doubt largely due to the cross with the cattle introduced. To 

 it also may in some measure be safely attributed the distinct 

 tendency among Ayrshires to become lighter in colour than 

 those of a generation or more ago ; indeed, the result is a 

 most natural one to expect when the broad lines of the facts 

 before us are considered. A little, inferior, dark-coloured, 

 poor-milking breed of cattle is found in a given district ; it is 

 improved in size and milking qualities by crossing with an 



1 Probably more correctly termed the Jersey, as cattle were sent to 

 Scotland, according to Colonel le Couteur, by two successive governors of 

 Jersey Field-Marshal Conway and Lieutenant-General Andrew Gordon. 



