GALLOWAY CATTLE. 155 



This we believe to be a fallacy, as the Galloway breeders had 

 always a strong aversion, I may say hatred, to the Irish ; the 

 prices obtained for the pure-bred Galloways would of themselves 

 be sufficient to deter them from adopting such a course. These 

 cattle, when from one to two years old, would be of the average 

 value of 4Z. to 91. per head, and always realised from IZ. to 21. 

 per head above the Irish of corresponding size and age. 

 Occasionally an Irish cow might be found in the hands of a 

 small cottager too poor to purchase a Galloway, but, as a rule, 

 they were never used by the farmers for breeding purposes. It 

 was then the universal custom to spay all the heifers at the age 

 of one to two years, with the exception that occasionally one or 

 two of the most promising were reserved to take the place of 

 those removed by death or accident, or which increasing years 

 had rendered unfit for the duties of maternity. There was no 

 fixed principle of drafting out the old cowo ; if good breeders, 

 they were kept to the age of ten to twelve or more years. All 

 the Irish heifers were also spayed, either before they left Ireland 

 or shortly after their arrival. The distinguishing mark of a 

 spayed heifer was a triangular piece cut from the top of the 

 right ear. The advantages gained by spaying was that the 

 animals rested better, and consequently fed faster, and steers 

 and heifers could with safety be grazed together in the same 

 field. The system of spaying might still be carried out with 

 great advantage with many other breeds beside that of the 

 Galloway. 



Galloway cows have the reputation of being bad milkers, due 

 in a great measure to mismanagement. The old breeders 

 invariably allowed the calves to suck their dams, depending 

 more on the amount realised by the stock reared than they did 

 upon that obtained by the produce of the dairy. Farmers 

 possessing tolerably large herds were content if they could only 

 obtain sufficient milk to supply the wants of their family, and 

 furnish them with butter and a small quantity of skim-milk 

 cheese ; we have frequently seen the maid milking on the one 

 side of the cow, whilst the caK was sucking on the other. 

 During the summer and autumn they were generally milked 

 out of doors in the open yard. When the calf had reached the 

 age of five or six months, it was usual to place a muzzle on the 



