170 THE CATTLE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



John Hamilton, of Sundrum, wlio raised a numerous herd from 

 that strain. About the same date Mr John Dunlop cultivated 

 the stranger breed at Dunlop House in the Cunningham 

 district. However valuable the breed has now become, it is 

 said the first offspring of the cross was far from being of the 

 best shape. The race was chiefly propagated by coupling bulls 

 of the stranger with cows of the native races, and, as the former 

 were far superior in size to the latter, as might naturally be 

 expected, the progeny had at first an ill-shaped mongrel 

 appearance, with bones large and prominent. But these 

 cattle soon toned down, accommodating themselves to the 

 state of the pastures ; and the improvements that began about 

 that time to be made on the soil of the western counties 

 rendered the pastures capable of supporting much heavier 

 stocks. 



The most desirable quality of dairy cows, of any breed, is 

 that they should yield a large quantity of milk in proportion to 

 the quantity of food they consume, and that when dry they 

 should feed quickly. The pure-bred Ayrshire certainly excels 

 all other in the former, and as to the latter she is no way 

 inferior to many of the best established breeds inhabiting these 

 islands. Of the quantity of milk which an average Ayrshire 

 dairy cow yields it is difiicult to speak with precision. There 

 is not only a great diversity between some of those animals and 

 others, but the quantity and quality of the food, the size, age, 

 and habit of the animal, distance from or to the time of calving, 

 all exercise a marked influence on the quantity of milk yielded 

 at any given time. Whatever is said on the subject is open to 

 contradiction by such as are disposed to cavil. Aiton, in his 

 survey of the county, says that some of the dairy cows in Ayr- 

 shire yield for a time from five to six gallons of milk per day. 

 Such returns are, however, rare ; yet many, when in their best 

 plight and well fed, will yield four gallons per day for three 

 months, and during the season produce a total of 800 to 900 

 gallons per cow. Many will, however, not yield more than half 

 that quantity, and probably 600 gallons per cow during the year 

 may be taken as a fair average of the Ayrshire dairy stock. 

 Some of the best farms show an average of 620 to 650 imperial 

 gallons as the average of the year ; whilst on others, where high 



