CATTLE DAIRY HUSBANDRY. 



colour is dark red to yellow. The milk-vessel is 

 large, generally well placed. The Sussex and 



Norfolk are much esteemed for their milking pro- , __.. e ._., *.,, 



perties. There are also horned breeds almost ; large and lively, sometimes with a certain expres- 

 indigenous to these counties. The colour is sion of wildness ; the neck, long, and slender in 

 similar to the polled breeds, but they are inferior ' 



sometimes pointing upward. The body is long and 

 low set ; skin, thin, loose, and soft to the touch ; 

 the head, long and narrow at the muzzle ; eye, 



as milkers. 



The Long-horn or Lancashire was at one time 

 much sought after, especially after its improve- 

 ment by Robert BakewelL This breed is now 

 almost wholly superseded by the Short-horn. The 

 Long-horn is distinguished by the length of its 

 horns, which are usually curved in the form of a 

 half-circle, and pointed downward. The length 

 and general rotundity of the body, with the large 

 sizes they attain, give this breed a fine appearance. 

 Late maturity, with their inferiority as milkers, 

 has caused the breed to be neglected. In some 

 parts of Ireland, and in the counties of Oxford 

 and Derby, there are breeders who still maintain 

 the Long-horn pure. 



The Alderney is the most esteemed of the 

 Channel Island cattle. They are delicate in form 

 colours varying from light red to fawn and dun 

 generally with white intermixed. The head is 

 long and handsome ; eye, large and prominent ; 

 horns, short and crumpled. As dairy-stock, they 

 have been much lauded, particularly for the quality 

 of the milk. One or two Alderney cows in a dairy 

 are stated to impart a richness of colour to the 

 butter. Such is the demand for cows of this 

 breed, that it is believed a much greater number 

 is annually sold in England than the Channel 

 Islands produce. As the same breed exists in 

 a part of Normandy, a portion of these may swell 

 the number of the Alderneys sold in England. 

 Dairymen in Scotland believe that either the 

 climate of Scotland is too cold for the Alderney, 

 or the qualities of the breed have been exag- 

 gerated. Where tried, they have seldom given 

 much satisfaction. 



In Wales, there are various breeds, but a family 

 likeness pervades the whole. The most common 

 are black in colour, of medium size, with the body 

 long. The horns are of medium length, white, 

 "with black points, and pointed upwards. Like 

 mountain breeds generally, they are active, hardy, 

 and do not reach maturity till an advanced age. 

 They usually stand well to the pail, but are not 

 much esteemed as dairy-stock, except by cot- 

 tagers. For labour, the Welsh oxen are only 

 excelled by the Devon. Their hoofs are well 

 adapted for travel, resisting the tear and wear of 

 the most flinty and gravelly soils. In the counties 

 bordering on Herefordshire, the cattle resemble 

 somewhat the Hereford in form and colour, but 

 are smaller, with less aptitude to fatten. The 

 Pembroke and Glamorgan are the most esteemed. 

 The former are generally dark brown, with white 

 ridges. As milkers, both are superior to the 

 Hereford. The Welsh cattle are much esteemed 

 by the grazier. Droves of black Welsh may be 

 observed grazing in fields over the greater portion 

 of the southern counties of England ; they are 

 usually purchased in the Welsh markets at prices 

 which may be considered moderate when con- 

 trasted with those paid for Herefords or for Short- 

 horn crosses. 



The Ayrshire is generally considered the most 

 valuable for dairy purposes. It is of medium 

 size ; the horn is small, short, and bent inward, 



the cow, with little muscle ; the shoulder, sharp ; 

 the fore-quarters, light ; ribs, well sprung ; hind- 

 quarters, long, wide, and deep ; back, straight ; 

 legs, short ; the bones, small, but joints somewhat 

 loose and open. The udder is generally capacious, 

 placed forward on the belly, and not extending 

 backward beyond the buttock ; the teats are wide 

 apart, and generally small To adapt them for 

 the inferior pastures which is the character of 

 nearly all dairy-farms in the west of Scotland, the 

 young stock is kept in such a way as to stint 

 them in growth. The Ayrshire, when reared in 

 Ireland, or when treated liberally at home, is 

 found to increase considerably in size ; and if 

 this were desired, by attention to feeding and 

 selection, they could be reared to nearly double 

 the weight generally esteemed best for an Ayr- 

 shire cow. The heifers usually produce at little 

 beyond two years, and are retained for the dairy 

 till they reach seven or ten years. As beef-pro- 

 ducers, the Ayrshires do not occupy a high place. 

 When a Short-horn bull, however, is used, a very 

 superior animal is produced for feeding purposes. 

 This system is pursued by many farmers in the 

 west of Scotland with great success, the stock 

 being fattened off at two or two and a half years 

 old, and realising nearly i a month for keep. 

 The Ayrshire cow is more widely spread over 

 Scotland than any other. It prevails over nearly 

 the whole of the west, from Wigton to Ayrshire. 

 It is exported to most continental states Russia, 

 Denmark, Sweden, France, &c. 



Polled breeds, Galloway, Angus, Aberdeen, &c. 

 are peculiar to Scotland. The Galloway extends 

 over a portion of the Border counties in the west 



Polled Angus Bull 



of the island Cumberland, Wigton, Dumfries, 

 &c. and is named from the district of Galloway. 

 In several of the south-eastern counties of Scot- 

 land, polled cattle are al?o found. They are 

 there known as the Angus and Aberdeen polled. 

 Fife, Kinross, and other counties produce some 

 polled animals ; but the Galloway, Angus, and 

 Aberdeen polled cattle are the most generally 

 esteemed. The polled cattle that are reared in 

 the east of Scotland, owe much of their present 

 high character as beef-producing animals to 

 several breeders, particularly to the late Mr 

 Watson of Keillor, Mr W. M'Combie, M.P., Mr 

 Alex. Bowie, Mains of Kelly, and others, who, 



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