130 Oattle Problems. 



in their early days, and no mystic lore is wasted on tliem. 

 And this is needless, as wliatever may be said, their pro- 

 genitors must laave been diminished in size upon going 

 into the cooler and much damper climate of Ayrshire, as 

 under such a change more food was required for nourish- 

 ment and to maintain the normal blood temperature and 

 fluidity. While they get a less total of feed on Ayrshire 

 soils, and more activity being required in gathering it than 

 on other soils, on the banks of the Tees, or in similar local- 

 ities, with less food and less time for repose, and more ac- 

 tive exertion in a cooler temperature, these new conditions 

 must have gradually but surely reduced the size of the 

 larger Teeswater to that of the smaller Ayrshire, and so 

 the latter cattle became a new local breed, from the force 

 of local climate and other attendant conditions. 



The Ayrshire is not a muscular animal ; they did not in- 

 herit much muscularity, while their muscular proportion 

 would not be much developed or increased, while so much 

 of the muscle-forming material, the fibrin, goes into the 

 the pail as caseine from this dairy breed. But the local 

 character of the Ayrshire climate, its foggy moisture, sup- 

 plying a large proportion of moisture in the feed and blood, 

 and in the milk formed from them, together with careful 

 milking, naturally increased their yield and the size of 

 their udders to their well-known large extent. But it is 

 doubtful if large yield, developed in a moist climate, can 

 be long maintained in a dry climate, otherwise than by 

 moist special feed, and careful attention to watering the 

 cows ; but with such care their full yield may probably be 

 maintained.* 



The Kyloe, or Western Highland Cattle 

 of the Islands of west Scotland are, perhaps, unequaled for 



*It is remarkable that milkers generally mill; large-yieldiug cows cleaner 

 tlisTi thofii of lunB yield, |jotr,ibly because they feel more encouraged in one 

 case than la Lliu other. 



