156 KERRY CATTLE. 



fine, but rather long, and the tail slender and dropping squarely. The 

 hair is rather long and thick, but the skin is mellow, with good handling 

 properties. In general appearance the Kerries are neat, small-sized 

 dairy animals, showing the typical milk wedge, and possessing the quiet 

 disposition so essential to dairy excellence. 



They are bred exclusively for milk, and their partisans claim for 

 them an unrivalled production on scanty hill or mountain ranges. To 

 explain their dairy worth in more definite manner, we appropriate from 

 the weekly edition of the National Live Stock Journal, of Chicago 

 issue of July 24, 1888 the following clipping, referring to four 

 Kerry cows, which were recently entered at The Royal Counties Show : 



"One of the four was reserve number, and very highly commended, and another 

 commended ; moreover, it will be seen by the following figures that the 'reserve' Kerry 

 gave more butter in proportion to quantity of milk than even the first or second prize 

 cows, though one of them was a Jersey. The first prize cow, a Shorthorn, gave 2 galls. 2 

 pints of milk, yielding i Ib. 3^ ozs. butter ; the second prize, a Jersey, gave 3 galls. 3^ 

 pints of milk, yielding i Ib. 4 ozs. butter ; the Kerry, very highly commended and re- 

 serve, gave 2 gallons of milk, yielding i Ib. i l / 2 ozs. butter." 



Nothing is said as to conditions or food for the three cows men- 

 tioned, but we may reasonably infer that these points were made as 

 nearly equal as possible. 



The Kerries are certainly hardy for more northern latitudes, but we 

 can say nothing as to their acclimation in the South. The "Dexter" 

 strain of Kerry cattle has been quite extensively fostered, and we men- 

 tion briefly the points of difference ; it gets the name from that of its 

 founder, who is supposed to have changed the type by selection. The 

 head is coarser ; horns thicker and more nearly straight ; the body 

 round and blocky, and the legs short and thick. 



