THE COW AND THE DAIRY. 



13 



descendants now. Dr. Hoffman more recently made an importation of choice in- 

 dividuals of this breed to Baltimore. Mr. Randall, of New-Bedford, Mass., has, 

 perhaps, the largest herd of Ayrshires in this country. Several were imported' 

 into Massachusetts some years since, and our impression had been that they fail- 

 ed to establish themselves in the estimation of Yankee Farmers, yet the Massa- 

 chusetts Agricultural Society lately invested a large portion of their funds in an 

 importation of Ayrshires and North Devons, of which an account mav be seen in 

 the Farmers' LiBEAKY AND Journal op Agriculture, November No. page 257 of 

 the Journal. The specimens we have seen of Ayrshires appeared to be on the 

 model, and with a good deal of the coat of the Short-Horn ; the hair perhaps short- 

 er, and in that, ensuiling them the better to bear wet weather. But they have the 

 neat form of the Short-Horn only on a miniature scale when compared to them. 

 Mr. Stevenson, our late Minister to London, who passed all his leisure time 

 among the noblemen and gentlemen Farmers in the best agricultural districts of 

 England and Scotland, has some superior specimens of Ayrshires. 



Ayrshire Cow. 



Many of the Ayrshire Dairy Cows, when properly fed, will yieJd from six to. 

 eight gallons per day during a part of the summer. The quantity varies much 

 during the year, from one and a half to six gallons or more ; and the highest av- 

 erage of the milk yielded by this breed is one thousand gallons per annum. It is 

 only some of the finest Cows that will yield such a quantity as this, and from five 

 hundred to seven hundred and fifty gallons may be calculated as the most gene- 

 ral yearly produce. Every two and one-third gallons of milk will afford one pound 

 of butter, of sixteen ounces to the pound, or eight gallons will give three pounds. 

 About twenty-six gallons of milk will give a stone of cheese, fourteen pounds to 

 the stone, and a good milch Cow will thus yield thirty-six stones annually, which, 

 at 10s. per stone, is £18 per annum for this article alone. 



The Short-Horned or Dutch breed is considered of great value, both for milk- 

 ing and feeding. There are many varieties of it, known by the names of the 

 counties where they have been raised. The best of these varieties are large in 

 the carcass, well proportioned, broad across the loins, chine full, legs short, head 

 small but handsome, neck deep, but in keeping with the size of the body, color 

 generally red and white mixed, or what is called flecked, hide thin. The flesh 

 of this breed is thick, close-grained, retaining the juices well ; and from this cir- 

 cumstance is in request for victualing ships going on long voyages. 



Regarding the milking qualities of this breed, Mr. Dickson, an emment cattle- 

 dealer, who has had the most extensive experience throughout the whole coun- 

 try, says — " It has been frequently asserted that the Short-Horned Cows are bad 

 milkers ; indeed, that no sort of cattle are so deficient in milk. But this deficien- 

 cy of milk does not proceed from the circumstance of the Cows being of the Short- 

 Hrrned kind. Had the flesh beerl neglected as much as the milk by the eminent 

 breeders, and the property of giving milk as much cherished as the development 

 of flesh, the Short-Horned Cows would have been deep milkers. Indeed, it is not 

 to be doubted that, where the general secreting powers of the animal system have 

 been increased, the power of secreting milk will be increased with the power ol 

 secreting fat ; all that seems requisite is to encourage the power of that secretiot^ 

 which is most wanted for the time. It would be to desire an impossibility to de- . 

 sire the full developrnent of flesh, fat, and milk, at the same time; but there is 

 no absurdity in desiring a large secretion of flesh and fat at one time, and a large 



