THE BREEDS OF CATTLE 



69 



Devon, and Hereford cattle are said to have been owned 

 by the farmers of that region. From the mingling of color 

 of these breeds we get the red, brown, and white markings 

 that are features of the Ayrshire. At the beginning of the 

 nineteenth century there were cows in southwest Scotland 

 that were famous milkers, and by offering prizes for compe- 

 tition, the Scotch people 

 have still more encour- 

 aged large milk produc- 

 tion. The mature Ayr- 

 shire bull weighs about 

 1500 and the cows nearly 

 1100 pounds. While a 

 true dairy breed, the Ayr- 

 shire inclines to be a trifle 

 fleshy, with more thick- 

 ness over the withers, 

 along the back, and about 

 the thighs, than have the 

 Jersey or Guernsey. Some 

 of the bulls are quite too 

 beefy for the best dairy 

 form, and these cattle fat- 

 ten the best of any dairy 

 breed. 



V^rv Gtrilrir>o- f^a-hirAc Fig ' 40 ' A fine exam P le f breed char- 

 Very SiriKing leauireS acter as seen i n an Ayrshire head. Photo- 



of the Ayrshire are the graph from Mr ' c< M wiQslow ' 

 head, with its rather long, large, and erect horns, the red and 

 white, or brown and white color, with white most abundant, 

 the capacious body, and beautiful udder. No other breed of 

 dairy cows has such a uniformly well-developed udder as 

 the Ayrshire, the forepart being much extended, and the 

 rear udder carried well up behind. At a big show these dairy 



