cows FOR THE DAIRY. 33 



in the Herd-book, but shows very well the special pecu- 

 liarities of form of the pure Shorthorn in its best condi- 

 tion as a dairy animal. Her product at the exhibition 

 was fifty-one pounds and twelve ounces of milk, which 

 contained 3.26 per cent of fat, equal to a product of 

 about one pound and twelve ounces of butter daily. 



The Ayrshire Breed deserves the next j)lace as 

 a valuable dairy cow, not because it is the largest milker, 

 but is a very profitable cow for both milk and butter, 

 and is adapted to a large range of locality and varying 

 circumstances. This breed originated in the southwest 

 part of Scotland, in the rich vale of Ayr, and has a large 

 infusion of the same European blood in it which was 

 bred into the Shorthorns. It dates back for more than 

 a century, and is the basis upon which the noted 

 dairy business of Ayrshire, or the Dunlop district, famous 

 for its excellent cheese and butter, has been built 

 during a hundred years. It has been greatly improved 

 by careful selection, and is now a model dairy cow. 

 Without depreciating any other breed of cows, she may 

 easily take this position. She will not displace the 

 Jersey in the fine butter dairy, nor the Dutch cow in the 

 milk dairy ; but she will fill the place of both of these 

 in the cheese dairy, and while she will not compare with 

 the latter in amount of milk product, she will greatly 

 surpass the former. She. is tli.e farmer's cow. Her milk 

 makes a superior cheese, and, being rich in cream, it can 

 easily be turned to profitable butter production. Her 

 average milk product will amount to at least 5,000 

 pounds a year, and some of the best cows will yield 

 from 6,000 to 8,000 pounds between two calvings. She 

 is easily kept ; she is a good and hearty feeder ; she is 

 remarkably hardy ; her coat is thick and close and warm 

 enough to resist exposure to the most severe winter 

 storms, and it can sustain the great heats of even the 

 West Indies without discomfort. One of her good points 



