STOCK. 169 



unable to dry before calvinp;. Two weeks previous, Aug. 18tb, 

 she commenced to increase in her milk, giving at the time 6 

 quarts per day. Since then, being obliged to feed the whole 

 herd in the barn on account of dry pastures, she has had, with 

 the rest, corn-fodder and three quarts of shorts daily, and gave 

 at the time of trial, the last week in August, 13|- quarts per day. 

 I feed during the winter on dry hay, about 4 quarts of shorts, 

 and a peck of cut roots to each animal ; during the summer, 

 only from the pasture, with green fodder, as the grass comes 

 short. I raise milk only for the market ; but during the sum- 

 mer, having a surplus quantity, a portion was set now and then 

 for butter. This yielded cream readily ; the butter " came " 

 quickly ; bright golden ; and the milk thus tested contained 

 12 per cent, cream. No record could be kept of the propor- 

 tionate amount to each animal, as the milk was used irregu- 

 larly, to get rid of it in the easiest way, but so far as it proved 

 an experiment of the butter-making qualities of the Ayrshires, 

 it was eminently satisfactory. 



It has often been asserted that this breed is especially ner- 

 vous, excitable, and uncomfortable to manage. My own expe- 

 rience has been entirely the opposite, so that I make a special 

 claim in this direction in their favor. 



Notwithstanding the extreme dry weather of this season, 

 want of food and water in the pastures, I have had no trouble 

 whatever in keeping them where they belonged. I insist that 

 they shall be kindly and carefully handled, and believe that, 

 with the gentle, systematic treatment all our stock should have, 

 the Ayrshires rank among the highest for quiet and peaceable 

 habits ; thus augmenting, in every way, their value for dairy 

 purposes. 



Statement of H. M. Clarke. 



Swiss Cattle. — I offer for your inspection and premium my 

 herd of Swiss cattle, comprising five cows and one bull, im- 

 ported by me in November last ; also four calves, the offspring 

 of the above cows. 



Unused to roots or grain, their keeping for the first eight 

 months consisted of hay and water, nor did I think it advisable, 

 until properly acclimated, to adopt a different course of treat- 

 ment. Since the middle of July, owing to the drought and 



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