26 MILK YIELD. 



THE AYRSHIRE AS A MILKING ANIMAL. 



THAT the Ayrshire cow is a large milker there can 

 be little doubt, as the fact is supported by universal 

 testimony. Yet it may be well to present those state- 

 ments of yields which we have collected. 



Ro. Forsyth, 1 writing before 1807, says that 

 "twelve of these small cows will yield for four or 

 five months in succession 120 Scotch pints of milk 

 each day." As the Scotch pint is 103 T 4 Q cubic inches, 

 this would be nearly 18 quarts per cow. 



Aiton, 2 writing in 1811, says that some of the 

 dairy cows in Ayrshire may yield for a time from 

 12 to 14 Scotch pints (21| to 25 wine quarts) per 

 day, but such returns are rare. Many of them will, 

 when in their best plight, and duly fed, yield at the 

 rate of 10 Scotch pints (about 18 quarts) of milk per 

 day for two or three months, probably about 6 pints 

 (10| quarts) for other three months, and say 3 pints 

 (5J- quarts) for four months more, making in all dur- 

 ing the season about 1,700 or 1,800 pints (3,046 to 

 3,225 quarts). Many cows, however, will not yield 

 more than the half of that quantity. Probably 1,200 

 Scotch pints (2,148 quarts) of milk from each cow 

 in the course of the year, may be about a fair average 



1 Beauties of Scotland, iii, 8. 2 Alton's Survey of Ayrshire, p. 464. 



