THEIR MILKING PEOPERTIES. 87 



8 to 8J cwt. Two-year-old polled bullocks, reared and 

 fed in the ordinary way — that is to say, without any 

 special forcing — usually bring, on an average, from £28 to 

 £32 a-head. 



Half a century ago the northern polled cattle were 

 noted for their great milking-powers. Youatt mentions 

 that the polled cows of Buchan, small as they then (1832- 

 35) were, gave from 3 to 4 gallons — from 12 to 16 

 quarts — of milk per day, and sometimes even as much as 

 7 gallons, or 28 quarts. The improvers of the breed 

 have as a rule aimed chiefly at developing beef-producing 

 properties ; and thus the cultivation of milking-powers 

 has to some extent been neglected. As a rule, however, 

 the northern polls give a good account of themselves in 

 the dairy. Several tribes are excellent milkers, over 16 

 quarts per day being obtained from many cows ; and we 

 feel convinced that, with a little care on the part of 

 breeders, the race might be brought into a prominent 

 position among dairy cattle. The milk of the breed is 

 noted for its quality, which is superior to that of the 

 milk from several other breeds. The late Earl of Airlie, 

 writing to the ' North British Agriculturist ' on December 

 26, 1879, in reference to the milking-properties of the 

 breed, says : "I have at present seventeen pure polled Angus 

 milch-cows in my dairy. The greater number of these 

 give from 12 to 14, and sometimes 16, Scotch pints for a 

 considerable time after calving. The milk is admitted to 

 be much richer than that of either the Shorthorn or the 

 Ayrshire. As regards the length of time for which they 

 will continue to give milk, my cow Belle of Airlie 1959, 

 dam of Belus 749, as pure a polled animal as any in 

 the ' Herd Book,' used to be milked all the year round. 

 Last year when I was from home they left off milking 

 her about a month before she calved, and she died of 

 milk fever, induced, as I believe, by the circumstance 

 that she had not been relieved of her superabundant 



