740 CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK AND COMPLETE STOCK DOCTO'^ 



should enhance its price to the consumer. This fact of their flesh being 

 so fully marbled with fat, would be an important consideration at the 

 present time, if not when Mr. Youatt wrote, for tallow is not so valuable 

 now as formerly, since the disuse of tallow candles, and this marbled flesh 

 is much sought by butchers. 



VII. The Ayrshires in America. 



Mr. Allen, writing in 18fi7 in relation to their importation into America 

 says : The Ayrshires first began to be imported into the United States 

 about the year 1831. They were somewhat different in appearance 

 from the latter importations, being in color usually deep red, or brown, 

 flecked with white, of rather plain look, and having mostly black noses. 

 In recent importations, or those within the last fifteen years, many of 

 them have assumed more the Short-Horn colors, the red in them being of 

 a lighter shade, and less of it — white being the prevailing color in many 

 — -and soijie of them a lively patched roan, with yellow noses, and hand- 

 some, and more symmetrical forms, but alike bearing the marks of good 

 milkers. 



VIII. Ajrrshire Points Eighty Years Ago. 



According to Mr. Alton, the Ayrshire as it was found in its native 

 country and in its improved form, in the beginning of the present cent- 

 uiy had I hese characteristics : Head small, l)ut rather long and narrow 

 at the muzzle ; the eye small, but smart and lively ; the horns small, clear, 

 crooked, and their roots at a considerable distance from each other ; neck 

 long and slender, tapering toward the head, with no loose skin below ; 

 shoulders thin ; fore-quarters light ; hind-quarters large ; back straight, 

 broad behind, the joints rather loose and open ; carcass deep, and pelvis 

 capacious, and wide over the hips, with round fleshy buttocks ; tail long, 

 and small ; legs small and short, with firm joints ; udder capacious, broad 

 and square, stretching forward, and neither fleshv, low hung, nor loose ; 

 the milk-veins large and prominent ; teats short, all pointing outward, 

 and at considerable distance from each other ; skin thin and loose ; 

 hair soft and woolly. The head, bones, horns, and all parts of least value, 

 small ; and the general figure compact and well proportioned. 



IX. The Asrrshire of To-Day. 



The Ayrshire of to-day is noted for giving a large quantity of milk, 

 rich in both butter and cheese ; and also for the wonderful development oi 

 the thighs, the bulls being selected with reference to their feminine ap- 

 pearance. They are docile in temper, hardy, sound-constitutioued ■ the 

 bulls broad in the hook bones and hips, and full in the flanks. Of iate 

 years there have been a number of herds introduced into the West, and 



