60 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK i. 



back short and straight ; spine well denned, especially at the shoulder ; 

 ribs well arched and deep at the flank; hind quarters long, broad, 

 and straight ; hook bones wide ; thighs deep and broad ; tail long and 

 slender, and set on at a level with the back ; legs short, the bones fine, 

 with nice broad firm joints ; milk vessel or bag large, extending well 

 forward ; hind part thick and firmly attached to the body, the sole or 

 under surface nearly level, with teats from 2 to 2|- inches in length, 

 about equal in thickness, round at the very point like your finger, 

 rather than bottle-soled, soft and elastic to the touch like a kid glove, 

 well set and hanging perpendicularly ; their distance apart at the sides 

 should be equal to about one-third of the length, and across to about 

 one-half of the breadth ; the milk veins large and well developed, 

 skin soft and elastic. In colour, a distinct brown and white. An 

 Ayrshire cow should move gracefully and carry her head nice and 

 high. These combined points give a wedge-like shaped appearance to 

 the animal. 



The following, from a report to the Ayrshire Agricultural Association, 

 gives the " points " which indicate superior quality in the Ayrshire dairy 

 cows : 



" Head short, forehead wide, nose fine between the muzzle and eyes, 

 muzzle moderately large, eyes full and lively, horns widely set on, 

 inclining upwards, and curving slightly inwards. 



" Neck long and straight from the head to the top of the shoulder ; 

 free from loose skin on the under side, fine at its junction with the 

 head, and the muscles symmetrically enlarging towards the shoulders. 



" Shoulders thin at the top, brisket light, the whole fore-quarters 

 thin in front, and gradually increasing in depth and width backwards. 



" Back short and straight, spine well defined, especially at the shoulder, 

 the short ribs arched, the body deep at the flanks, and the milk-veins 

 well developed. 



" Pelvis long, broad and straight, hook-bones (ilia) wide apart, and 

 not much overlaid with fat, thighs deep and broad, tail long and slender, 

 and set on level with the back. 



"Milk- vessels capacious and extending well forward, hinder part broad 

 and firmly attached to the body, the sole or under surface nearly level, 

 the teats from two to two-and-a-half inches in length, equal in thick- 

 ness, and hanging perpendicularly ; their distance apart at the sides 

 should be equal to about one-third of the length of the vessel, and 

 across to about one-half of the breadth. 



" Legs short, the bones fine and the joints firm. 



" Skin soft and elastic, and covered with soft, close, woolly hair. 



" The colours preferred are brown, or brown and white, the colours 

 being distinctly defined." 



Mr. Primrose McConnell, writing in the "Live Stock Journal 

 Almanac," thus records his experience of Ayrshire cows: "They will 

 ,cost 15 per head to lay in; will cost 15 per annum to feed; will 

 yield about 20 of produce, which will be over 600 gallons of 

 milk per annum, showing 3'5 to 4 per cent, of fats, 12 to 15 per 

 cent, of cream, 12J per cent, of solids, and 200 Ib. of butter per 



