Ayrshires 69 
States about 1860. They increased very slowly until 
about 1880, since which time they have become very 
numerous, particularly in those localities where the 
sale of milk for market purposes is' the chief dairy 
industry, and in many such localities they are rapidly 
coming to be almost the only dairy breed kept. 
Ayrshires.—Ayrshire cattle, as the name implies, 
originated in the county of Ayr in southwestern Scot- 
land. Up to about 1800 there was no particular type 
of cattle in this locality, but about this time dairying 
began to be developed, particularly in the parish of 
Dunlop, and the more enterprising dairymen began to 
select cows for dairy production from the ‘common 
stock of the country. It is supposed that the original 
stock of the county of Ayr had a more or less mixed 
origin, but the Ayrshire breed took on distinctive 
characters as early as 18380, and since that time has 
developed into one of the chief dairy breeds in Scot- 
land, in Canada and in the United States. 
Ayrshire cattle are of 
medium size, distinctly 
larger than the Jersey, and 
distinetly smaller than the 
Holstein. They are charac- 
terized by extremely straight 
and smooth forms, with 
round bodies, slim necks 
and legs, and long, slim, 
upright horns. They are 
extremely active in disposition, and alert, and stylish 
in appearance. These qualities have been developed 
Fig. 8. Ayrshire cow. 
