148 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



are the luxuries of man, the groat question arises, how this can 

 be produced in the greatest quantities and still be rich in quality. 

 Within the past fifty years great progress has been made in 

 perfecting the good qualities of the cow. Tlien, one that would 

 give 1,000 quarts in a year would be a fair cow. Even now, 

 nine-tenths of the cows in the rural districts do not average 

 more than 1,500 quarts in a year. But these are not profitable 

 to tlie farmers. We should not be satisfied with less than 3,000. 

 This may look large, but we have cows in the State that have 

 given 1,000 quarts in thirty days, and probably give nearer 5,000 

 than 3,000 in a year. Youatt estimates the annual yield of an 

 Ayrshire cow at 3,400 quarts ; Aiton sets it much higher, and 

 says that thousands of Ayrshire cows give 4,000 annually, beer 

 measure. One of the four cows originally imported into this State 

 by J. C. Gushing gave in one year 3,864 quarts beer measure, 

 and another made her sixteen pounds of butter a week on grass 

 alone. It is conceded by all farmers who have had any expe- 

 rience in the different breeds, that an Ayrshire cow generally 

 gives a greater return in milk for the food consumed than any 

 other breed of cows. We will now make a few figures on profit 

 and loss. A cow that gives only 1,500 quarts a year, will, at 

 five cents a quart, yield an income of $75, which will leave but 

 little profit after taking out the keeping. The one that gives 

 3,000 yields an income of $150, while one that gives 4,000 yields 

 an income of $200, or a net profit of $125 over the first. But 

 allowing that we give this one $25 worth of extra feed, then we 

 have $100 left, and a profit of $1,200 on a dairy of twelve 

 cows, an item which would satisfy any of our farmers. 



The question now comes, how shall we obtain such cows ? It 

 is conceded by breeders that a cross of native cows with an Ayr- 

 shire bull produces nearly as good milkers as full-bloods. Then 

 all you have to do is to select the best cow you have and put 

 her to a full-blood Ayrshire bull, and if she has a heifer calf 

 with a small and long head, eyes not large but dark and lively ; 

 neck long and slender, tapering towards the head ; shoulders 

 and fore-quarters light and thin ; hind-quarters large and broad, 

 with skin loose, thin and soft, raise it ; but if it has not most of 

 these points, reject it and try again, and in a few years you will 

 have a dairy that you will be proud of, besides giving you a well 

 filled purse. To succeed well there are two things more which 



