THE KERRY 



439 



and comparatively long. The udder is frequently large for the 

 size of the cow, but tends to have a poor front development. In 

 size the Kerry is one of the small breeds, and when in breeding 

 condition the bull should not weigh over one thousand pounds 

 nor the cow over nine hundred pounds. The tcvipcranicnt of the 

 Kerry is distinctly nervous, yet, when well cared for, these cattle 

 are quiet and easily handled. 



The maturing characteristics of Kerry cattle are secondary. 

 As bred in Ireland, due to inferior care, they are slow to develop, 

 producing the first calf 

 later than other breeds. 

 This slowness of ma- 

 turity is overcome to 

 a considerable degree 

 under proper condi- 

 tions of care and feed- 

 ing, and in America 

 earlier maturity may 

 generally be expected 

 than in Ireland. 



The hardy charac- 

 ter of Kerry cattle is 

 one of its distinctive 

 features. During the 

 entire year it is nec- 

 essary for the Irish 

 cotter's cow to adapt 

 herself to conditions of privation, including the inclemency of 

 winter. No breed has a more robust constitution or is less 

 subject to common diseases than is the Kerry in Ireland. 



The prepotency of Kerry cattle is very marked. Being of an 

 ancient breed, long bred pure, it transmits its color and physical 

 characteristics in a marked degree. 



The Kerry in crossbreeding is essentially of value in improving 

 common dairy stock. Kerry bulls from high-yielding cows, bred 

 to ordinary cows, should sire a class of heifers possessing vigor- 

 ous constitutions, showing a uniformly black color and capable of 

 producing a good yield of superior milk at minimum cost. 



Fig. 192. La Mancha My Mistake (344), a prize- 

 winning Kerry bull at the show of the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society of England. Owned by R. Tait 

 Robertson, Malahide, Ireland. From photograph 

 by the author 



