CATTLE. 357 



dairy stock, which, though not remarkably promising at first, 

 have made the name of Ayr as widely famous for its dairy 

 cattle as for the sweet songs of its poet. Burns. 



It was not alone by the careful selection from the old native 

 stock that these improvements were effected, but it is probable 

 that more or less crosses were taken with breeds already esta- 

 blished. A native race may be improved by careful, choice, 

 and systematic breeding and selection, but the process is slow 

 and uncertain, and offers less advantage to the enterprising- 

 breeder, than the more promising one of using stock already 

 improved to obtain first crosses. Just what the crosses were 

 that led to the early modifications of the old Ayrshire cattle, it 

 matters little. They were, no doubt, desultory efforts made 

 without any clear idea of building up a famous breed on the 

 basis of the old stock, which was small, ill-fed and ill-treated, 

 supposed to have been derived originally from the western 

 coast of France, the country of the Bretons. A better course of 

 treatment, which prevailed after these early attempts, did much, 

 no doubt, to change the general character of the stock of Ayr- 

 shire, as it will any other. 



The Ayrshire cattle, now a well-established and well-defined 

 breed, have long been distinguished for their remarkable dairy 

 r[ualities, and for the quantity of milk they give in proportion to 

 the size of the animal and the amount of food consumed. The 

 form and structure of the cow, from the muzzle to tlie tail, 

 indicates that she possesses qualities which adapt her, in an 

 eminent degree, to the purposes of the dairy. Iler head is 

 small, with a long and narrow muzzle ; her eyes, sparkling and 

 lively ; her horns usually small, clear, and crooked, and set 

 well apart at the roots. Her neck is long and slender, small 

 towards the head and free, from the dewlap. Her shoulders are 

 thin, her fore quarters light, and her hind quarters large and 



