454 
DAIRY FARMING. 
untiring industry. When, however, a portion of his small 
capital is invested in the purchase of milking stock, and a 
part of the farm laid out to suit them, the return is imme- 
diate, and from this source money is conveniently got to meet 
the weekly payments for labour, house, and other incidental 
expenses, much inconvenience being thus escaped which 
would be altogether unavoidable in the case of having to wait 
for the ripening of the cereals. 
It is highly necessary in establishing a dairy to take into 
very careful consideration the class of animals that will suit 
the farm, it being much better to get them of a size rather 
under than over the capabilities of the soil, as in that case 
improvement will begin at once ; whereas, if the opposite has 
been the case, the stock must recede. This rule applies to 
all the breeds and varieties of the domestic animals; and its 
recognition in purchasing breeding stock will not fail of 
bringing about most successful results. A man possessed of 
large capital can easily place on his land animals of immense 
bone and substance, and of the most approved breeds ; but 
he cannot so easily alter the character of his soil, and make it 
fit to carry such cattle; that must be a work of time, however 
great may be the expenditure with the view of improvement; 
and, consequently, it becomes good sound policy to keep 
both stock and soil progressing in the same ratio. If the 
dairy is to be the leading source of profit, and its produce in 
the utmost obtainable quantity the sole object, independent 
of all other considerations, a breed of cattle should be selected 
famed for its large milking capacity, no animal being retained 
in the stock, which, after a fair trial, has been proved to be 
a poor milker, her produce not paying for keep and attend- 
ance. On the other hand, when milk and butter do not take 
first place, the rearing of young cattle being carefully attended 
to as a source of revenue, a more valuable breed will be 
desirable, one which reaches maturity at an early age, so that 
in whatever condition the animals are sold off the farm, 
whether as stores or fit for the butcher, they may bring remu- 
nerative prices. 
For a purely milking dairy, and more especially on soils of 
light or medium quality, the Ayrshire can scarcely be excelled. 
This breed is characterised by hardiness and activity, the 
cows keeping themselves in good condition, and giving a large 
quantity of milk in proportion to the consumption of food 
The most serious objection to keeping large-framed cattle on 
land light of surface, is the tendency they have to lose flesh 
while milking largely ; the actual loss in money value of the 
animal herself*, being little more than met by the whole 
