KKUKV UUKEU.] 



CATTLE, AND THE Hi VA K I I'/ri i:s. [doubet diikrd. 



their dairy qualities. The breed, therefore, 

 upon which ho extM-clHod his tiileiit, in held in 

 little estimation by those whoso object id to 

 obtiiin large quantities of milk, and who prefer 

 the bigger and coarser animals, the milk-pro- 

 duce of which is both large and good, leaving 

 the others as best adapted for the purposes of 

 the grazier, in Leicestershire, cheese is the 

 grand object of the dairyman. Consequently, 

 abundant milk-yielding cows are the most 

 prolitablo for him ; and some of these will give 

 about 400 pouuds of cheese, and as many 

 gallons of milk in the year, after allowing the 

 seven weeks, during which the cow is supposed 

 to be dry. In some of the districtsof this county, 

 cows are kept for six, seven, or even eight 

 years, if they continue to produce largely. 

 Cheese being the grand stoclv-in-trado of the 

 Leicestershire farmer, it is much more profitable 

 to him to maintain a plentifully-producing cow, 

 than to get a few poimds, more or less, by her 

 when she is disposed of. The grass of Leices- 

 tershire being extremely rich, the farmer, on a 

 large scale, is enabled to fatten his cattle when 

 be pleases, and to sell such as he might dispose 

 of for the dairy. As old cows, therefore, are 

 not expected to be very good grazers, be does 

 Eot look for wonders from them ; and, should 

 be succeed in putting a moderate degree of fat 

 upon their bones, be is contented with a lower 

 price per stone for their beef than would be 

 takeu for better animals. The cows will only 

 make what is called cow-beef — suitable only 

 for the coarse palates of a ship's crew, or for 

 "provisioning the navy." 



THE KERRY BREED. 



This is a hardy breed, and celebrated in 

 Ireland as the cottier's dairy cow. Her cha- 

 racters are — fine head and legs, flat shoulders, 

 breast and quarters, small tail, and skinny 

 udder. She is a famous milker, and has a 

 timid, gentle look, indicative of great patience, 

 which is further shown by the meekness of her 

 deportment. Like the poorer classes of the 

 countrymen to whom she belongs, she is ex- 

 tremely hardy, and will live where other kinds 

 of cattle would starve. Her yield of milk is not 

 only abundant, but rich, and it is produced from 

 the hardest and coarsest sorts of cattle- food. 

 On account of the excellent quality of both her 

 milk and butter, she is an invaluable possession. 



THE ciii:siiiRi: uueed. 



This breed is becoming rapidly extinct. The 

 old breed of Cherthire was a long-horned 

 variety ; but the dairy system, introduced into 

 tiio vicinity of largo towns by the growth of 

 their populations, has brought the short-horn 

 cow of Yorkshire into competition with uJbae 

 native breeds. The qiiantily, rather than tho 

 quality, of tho milk tliey jjroduee, has been with 

 them the great object of consideration ; conse- 

 quently, tho character of tho Cheshire cheese 

 has been deteriorated in the markets. Another 

 reason why the short- horned cattle have risen 

 higher in estimation in this county tlian in 

 others, is the care which is taken to prevent 

 their exposure to atmospheric changes, and also 

 to the enriching of exhausted grass-lands by 

 manuring them with bone-dust. This sort of 

 manure so improves these lands as to give 

 great advantage to an animal requiring a good 

 quality, as well as a fair quantity, of provender, 

 both of which are requisite for the short-horns. 

 Mr. Palin, in his Prize Essay on tJic Farming 

 of Chesliire, observes — "Doubts, I believe, 

 exist in the minds of some intelligent farmers, 

 whether any improvement has been efiecfced in 

 the milking properties of dairy cows, as regards 

 quality, by the introduction of tho improved 

 short-borns amongst them. That the latter 

 breed is much disposed to fatten, is admitted; 

 but this class of cattle docs not stand very high 

 in public estimation as milkers. It may, there- 

 fore, be reasonably supposed that there are 

 good grounds for thinking that it is very pos- 

 sible to introduce too much of the improved 

 short-horn blood into the dairy stocks, and 

 that great caution should be taken in crossing. 

 However this may be, I am of opinion that an 

 improvement may be effected by the introduc- 

 tion of the blood to a certain extent; care 

 being always taken to select male animals 

 intended to be reared from the best milkers." 



THE DORSETSHIRE BREED. 

 It is to be expected that, in most dairy dis- 

 tricts, a large milk-producing animal will take 

 precedence of one which may have a more 

 beautiful form, or be a better taker-on of fat. 

 This is the case in Dorsetshire ; and hence, an 

 ill-formed, and somewhat coarse breed of cattle 

 prevails throughout the county. They belong 



G3'J 



