LECTURE NO. 28. 



AYRSHIRE CATTLE THEIR STANDARD POINTS. 



I. The following scale of points was adopted 

 by the American Ayrshire Breeders' Association 

 in 1889: 



FOR COWS. 



POINTS 



(1) Head Short; forehead wide; nose, fine be- 



tween the muzzle and the eyes; muzzle large; 

 eyes, full and lively; horns wide set on, inclin- 

 ing upward ........ 10 



(2) Neck Moderately long, and straight from the 

 head to the top of the shoulder, free from loose 

 skin on the under side, fine at its junction with 

 the head, and enlarging symmetrically toward 

 the shoulders ....... 5 



(3) Forequarters Shoulders, sloping; withers, fine; 



chest, sufficiently broad and deep to insure con- 

 stitution ; brisket and whole forequarters light, 

 the cow gradually increasing in depth and 

 width backwards ....... 5 



(4) Back Short and straight ; spine, well defined, 

 especially at the shoulders; short ribs, arched; 



the body deep at the flanks 10 



(5) Hindquarters Long, broad and straight, hook 



bones wide apart and not overlaid with fat: 

 thighs, deep and broad; tail long, slender and 

 set on a level with the back .... 8 



(6) Udder Capacious and not fleshy, hind part 

 broad and firmly attached to the body, the sole 

 nearly level and extending well forward ; milk 

 veins about udder and abdomen well devel- 

 oped ; the teats from two to three inches in 

 length, equal in thickness the thickness being 

 in proportion to the length hanging perpen- 

 dicularly; their distance apart at the sides 

 should be equal to one-third of the length of 

 the vessel, and across to one-half the breadth 30 



(7) Legs Short in proportion to size, the bones 



fine, the joints firm 3 



lOQ 



