270 FIELD AND FERN. 



ferouglit in the action and broad forehead^ centuries 

 back), but should come away from the head at firsthand 

 then go upwards with a gentle rise. If it is an enam- 

 elled white, it is liked much better than the waxy. 

 Well-laid shoulders are always a very great point, 

 and a cow should be thin through the heart, with 

 a nice straight top line to keep her plates up. 

 Light bone below the knee and hock is another great 

 essential, and so is a good flank curtain to the vessel. 

 A curl along the edge of the belly is a capital sign 

 for milk, and the tail should be as "thin as a 

 rat^s,^^ with a nice brush at the end of it. As a gene- 

 ral thing, they have not enough hair, and those that 

 carry it are quite the hardiest. Too fine feeding is 

 always found to spoil the pile. Whites (of which Mr. 

 Ivie Campbell had once some very good ones) are 

 not generally popular, and the shorthorn love of roans 

 has no place here. The breeders like best to see 

 them dropped dark red, flecked with white, and dark 

 brown, provided they have no tan muzzle, as they 

 are then sure of a good sale. 



Ayrshire is always *^a colour market.^^ The Here- 

 ford or brocky-faced ones are the remains of an old 

 Ayrshire breed (in Dunlop, Dairy, and Kilbirnie), 

 and they are always mellow handlers and very 

 good milkers, but generally with crummy horns. 

 Blacks are rare, and at a premium when they can be 

 got ; and the blues and whites, which are rather liked 

 in some parts, carry a peculiarly short tail as their 

 €rest. Mr. Craig of Polquaise was celebrated for 



