24 CANADIAN DAIRYING. 



The Ayrshire breed of cattle originated in the county 

 of Ayr, Scotland. They are a very thrifty breed, 

 especially adapted to a somewhat rough country, and 

 for places where forage is scarce. They are of a 

 rather high nervous temperament, requiring gentle 

 handling, and are inclined to have short teats, which 

 are difficult to milk. In size, they take a medium 

 position, as the cows do not weigh much over 1,000 

 pounds live weight. They are very persistent milkers, 



AYRSHIRE 

 Owned by R. Hunter & Sons, Maxville, Ont., Canada. 



giving a moderate quantity of milk of average quality 

 or percentage of fat. The fat globules are small in 

 size, hence the milk from Ayrshire cows is not adapted 

 for creaming by any gravity method, as there is 

 too great a loss of fat (cream). Their milk is, how- 

 ever, specially well suited for cheesemaking, and in 

 cheese factory sections this hardy breed is very 

 popular. The Dominion Department of Agriculture, 

 Ottawa, now has charge of all the Herd Books of 

 Canadian cattle except the Holstein-Friesian. 



