FIRST CENTURY OF DAIRYING IN NEW SOUTH WALES. 



working in the Ayrshire, by mating Shorthorn bulls and 

 cross-bred Ayrshire cows. 



Dairy Shorthorn breeders point to the uniformity of types and 

 color as their sole guide to-day. But let us glance at those two 

 illustrations, Barney II., of Alyne Bank, and Barney II., of Nether- 

 vale. They possess the fancy Shorthorn color, roan, and conform to 

 the dairy Shorthorn type. Yet we have the unimpeachable evidence 

 cf their owners that there is a large percentage of Ayrshire blood 

 in their veins. Turn again to Air E. J. Marks' cows, Fuchsia, 

 Betsy, and Queen II., and we find in each the desired color and 

 milking type just referred to. Yet, they contain, according to the 

 breeder's own statement, from one-half to three-quarters of Ayr- 

 shire blood in their veins. The dairy quality, type, and color 

 of Mr. Marks' cattle was such as to command the attention of 

 good judges at recent shows in Kiama, and yet the bull which he 

 considers suited his purpose best was Terragong, a small brown 

 and white Ayrshire bull, bred by a Mr. Montgomery, in the Bong 

 Bong district. Take Queen II. as an example in cattle breeding. 

 In 1855 the late John Marks commenced dairying with stock of the 

 Normandy-Ayrshire strain of Macleay, Ulladulla. One of these cowl 

 was a noted dairy animal. At the Hon. John's sale, in 1875, the 

 late Mr. Samuel Marks purchased a cow descended ironi that noted 

 animal. In i88c the writer bought in for Mr. Marks' own use a 

 cow descended from the one he purchased twenty years previous. 

 Queen II. is descended from that cow, with all the characteristics 

 of her progenitors. Whilst scientists are generally of the opinion 

 that breeders of our domesticated animals should aim at conformity 

 of type, with a view of getting the best for the purpose for which 

 they are breeding, they are just as silent on that most fleeting of all 

 characteristics, color. Nevertheless, most modern breeders be- 

 lieve that when a herd of cattle, large or small, of whatever breed 

 they may be, should not be allowed to run into too much white, as 

 they consider it is an unmistakable sign of too much in-and-in breed- 

 ing. 



Take the colors of our dairy cattle as far back as the oldest 

 of our dairymen can remember, and it will be found that red, 

 red and white spotted, strawberry, light roan on body, and dark 

 roan on neck and head, and those old type dairy cows with white 

 back, white face, and yellow, or strawberry sides, with horns either 

 wide spreading, hooped, or corkscrew-shaped, were the prevailing- 

 colors among the Illawarra dairy cattle. The prevailing Ayrshire 

 color was either red and white, and dark brown and white, the white 

 occupying but a small space on the animals body, and then always 

 clearly defined. The writer does not wish to affirm that these 

 the only cattle colors; they were, however, the fancy colors 

 of those days. The writer also knows full well that spectrum 

 analysis would fail to depict greater varieties in color than was 

 to be found in our early dairy herds when one cow was worth 

 two of the present day but the red roan was scarcely, if ever, 

 seen among our choicest herds. 



Dairying as an industry, and dairy cattle breeding as a source 

 <>f pleasure and profit to many families in this State, have been 

 loiitf enough under our observation to justify dealing with them a? 

 facts in Australian history. Their characteristics and worth, their 

 scientific associations, their commercial aspect, ranm.t be treated as 

 matters of private opinion or deduction unless \\c can SO regard all 

 passmjr industries, or industries such as mining. They may, indeed. 

 legitimately be made the subject matter of practical experience of 

 theories, to wit, what is their social and commercial worth, what 

 is due to thrir location in the range of ideas or of facts which we 



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