Book VII. 



VARIETIES OF THE BULL FAMILY. 



1017 



the average weight of bullocks three years and a half old, when the greater part of them are driven to the 

 south, has been stated at about 40 stone, avoirdupois; and some of them, fattened in England, have been 

 brought to nearly 1U0 stone. 



6787. The general properties of this breed are well known in almost every part of England, as well as in 

 Scotland They are sometimes sent from their native pastures directly to Smithfield, a distance of four 

 hundred miles, and sold at once to the butcher ; and in spring they are often shown in Norfolk, immedi- 

 ately after their arrival, in as good condition as, or even better than, when they begin their journey ; with 

 full feeding, there is perhaps no breed that sooner attains maturity, and their fle-h is of the finest "quality. 

 Culley was misinformed about the quantity of milk they yield, which, though rich, is by no means abun- 

 dant. It is alleged not to be more than seventy or eighty years since the Galloways were all horned, and 

 very much the same in external appearance and character with the breed of black cattle which prevailed 

 over the west of Scotland at that period, and which still abounds in perfection, the largest-sized ones in 

 Argyleshire, and the smaller in the Isle of Sky. The Galloway cattle at the time alluded to were coupled 

 with some hornless bulls, of a sort which do not seem now to be accurately known, but which were then 

 brought from Cumberland, the effects of which crossing were thought to be the general loss of horns in 

 the former, and the enlargement of their size: the continuance of a hornless sort being kept up by select- 

 ing only such for breeding, or perhaps by other means, as by the practice of eradicating with the knife 

 the horns in their very young state. (Coventry on Live Stock, p 28.) 



6788. The Suffolk duns, according to Culley, are nothing more than a variety of the Galloway breed. 

 He supposes them to have originated in the intercourse that has long subsisted between the Scotch drovers 

 of Galloway cattle, and the Suffolk and Norfolk graziers who feed them. The Suffolks are chiefly light 

 duns, thus differing from the Galloways, and are considered a very useful kind of little cattle, particularly 

 for the dairy. ( Culley, p. 66. Parkinson, vol. i. p. 116.) 



6789. The Ayrshire breed (fig. 860.1, according to Aiton (Agriculture of Ayr, p. 421.), is the most 

 improved breed of cattle to be found in the island ; not onlv for the dairy, in which they have no parallel, 



860 



under similar soil, climate, and relative circumstances ; but also in feeding for the shambles. They are, 

 in fact, a breed of cows that have, by crossing, coupling, feeding, and treatment, been improved and 

 brought to a state of perfection, which fits them, above all others yet known, to answer almost in every 

 diversity of situation, where grain and grasses can be raised to feed them, for the purposes of the dairy, or 

 for fattening them for beef. [Alton.) 



6791). The origin of the Ayrshire breed of cattle is to be found in the indigenous cattle of the county of 

 Ayr, " improved in their size, shapes, and qualities, chiefly by judicious selection, cross-coupling, 

 feeding, and treatment, for a long series of time, and with much judgment and attention, by the industrious 

 inhabitants of the county, and principally by those of the district of Cunningham." (Aiton.) The whole 

 dairy breed in the county of Ayr is of mixed white and brown colours. 



6791. The size of the Ayrshire improved dairy cows " varies from 20 to 40 stones English, according to 

 the quality and abundance of their food. If cattle are too small for the soil, they will soon rise to the size 

 it can maintain ; and the reverse, if they are larger than it is calculated to support." (Aiton.) 



6792. The shapes most approved of are as follows: — " Head small, but rather long and narrow at the 

 muzzle; the eye small, but smart and lively; the horns small, clear, crooked, and their roots at consider- 

 able distance from each other ; neck long and slender, tapering towards 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 fleshy, low hung, nor loose ; the milk veins large and prominent ; teats 

 short, all pointing outwards, 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." (Aiton.) 



6793. The form of the Cunninghame Ayrshire cow, according to Robertson, is " very elegant, but must be 

 seen to be well understood. So far as it may be explained in words, it is thus : — The neck is small, the 

 head little, the muzzle taper, the horns short, curved, and bending upwards ; the countenance mild; the 

 body straight along the back from shoulder to tail ; the limbs slender ; the udder shaped like a well turned 

 punch-bowl, and the paps widely set. The head, the neck, and the udder are the chief distinguishing 

 points. The colour is generally brown, of many hues, from dark to yellow, intermixed and mottled in 

 many a varied form and proportion with white. Some few have a black ground, without any change in 

 character; but almost none are of one colour only. In a whole hirsel of forty or fifty, there will not two 

 of them be alike in colour, in this respect exhibiting a diversity not unlike to a bed of tulips, and of as 

 many hues and shades, in an endless variety of beauty. The bulls are generally good tempered, and, like 

 the cows, are also mild in the countenance. The usual produce of butter from these cows is ascertained 

 to be about half their own weight (meaning the four quarters) in a year; but this requires that the pas- 

 ture be good, and the cow otherwise well kept the whole season over." The produce of such a cow so 

 kept will equal 242 lbs. imperial weight per annum of butter, and double that quantity of cheese. The 

 medium produce in butter from Ayrshire milk is from five imperial quarts. (Rural Recollections, p. 565.) 



6794. The qualities of an Ayrshire dairy-cow " are of great importance. Tameness and docility of 

 temper greatly enhance the value of a milch cow. One that is quiet and contented feeds at ease, does not 

 break over fences, or hurt herself and other cattle, will always yield more milk, and is easier to manage, 

 than those that are of a turbulent disposition. To render them docile, they ought to be gently treated ; 

 frequently handled when young, and never struck or frightened. Some degree of hardiness, a sound con- 

 stitution, and a moderate degree of life and spirits, are qualities to be wished for in a dairy cow, and what 

 those of Ayrshire generally possess. The most valuable quality which a dairy cow can possess is that 

 she yields much milk A cow in Avrshire that does not milk well will soon come to the hammer. I have 

 never seen cows any where that, under the same mode of feeding and treatment, would yield so much 

 milk as the dairv breed of that district. Ten Scotch pints per day is no way uncommon. Several cows 

 yield, for sometime, twelve pints, and sonic thirteen or fourteen pints per day. Another quality ol the 



