QUEENS OF THE MILKY WAY. 
The Ayrshire Cow. 
Looking at a typical Ayrshire cow one is remind¬ 
ed of the glimpses he may have had in years gone 
by of many a New England farm, with memories of 
old-fashioned spotted cattle, that later became re¬ 
placed by the black and white, and these again by 
fleckies. For once more we see the spotties creeping 
into the landscapes of the uplands, and. if the Ayr¬ 
shire is anything at all she is just the thing in such 
fact of “breeding.” Her eyes and muzzle glisten with 
dewy health. Her neat, dainty head, with broad 
forehead, is set above a face of medium length, 
nicely dished and showing prominent veining. The 
muzzle, too, is broad and business-like, for it is a 
proverb among Ayrshire folks that th& milk goes in 
at the mouth. Her eyes are placid, and warm the 
cockles of one’s heart toward her. Her neck is thin 
and slim, neatly joined to her head and shoulders— 
and free from loose skin. The shoulders are well 
disposed and though sharp at the withers, as be- 
tliese to the pin-bones, or setting on of the tail. Her 
pelvic region is thus roomy and large. Her thighs 
are thin and long, with noticeable width between. 
Her tail is ground-sweeping, and finely set into a 
neat tail-head, indicating quality and breeding. 
The udder, to which our eyes are constantly di¬ 
rected. and to which so much attention has always 
been paid, by the breeders, is long, fore and aft, and 
wide from side to side. It is deep, but never pendu¬ 
lous; always well balanced and proportioned, nicely 
rounding all over; firmly hanging from the body, 
places and even where she could reclaim an aban¬ 
doned farm and make it profitable. She delights 
to lustle among the rough, natural, scattered graz¬ 
ings of such rather sterile farms; she is never fas¬ 
tidious about her food, picking up everything of an 
edible kind she can reach with her active tongue. 
She loses no time in hunting for the choice spots, 
but begins where she steps forth, and is soon filled 
"ilh food that she at once begins to assimilate and 
turn to good account for herself and her owner. 
A field of fleckies, with their unique, as well as 
quaint upturned horns, so unusual among the bovine 
family, is a delight to the lover of well-bred cattle. 
Her smooth level top is another distinguishing char¬ 
acteristic, as she stands gazing, contentedly, con- 
hdingly, before us, inviting our attention. Her 
capacious, nicely-formed udder and milk-veins swell- 
uig out along her under line, are all evidences of the 
comes a cow conforming to the true milking type, 
have, nevertheless, good width from point to point, 
indicating plenty of space for lungs and heart, the 
chest being low and full between the forelegs: the 
brisket light. Her legs are straight well apart, with 
fine supple joints; her feet well formed and grippy, 
or firm, quite an essential in an Ayrshire, that has 
to tread so much uneven, and often rocky ground. 
The back of our true Ayrshire cow is strong, and 
straight in line; the chine untieshy, prominent and 
open-jointed. ’The loin displays the characteristic 
levelness of her race. Her ribs are well sprung, 
making plenty of room, as they increase in “body” 
and sweep, from front to rear. In consequence, 
the belly is capacioqs, scouthy, with strong muscu¬ 
lar development. Her flank is thin, prettily arch¬ 
ing. The rump, too, is wide and level, with great 
width between the hooks and plenty of length from 
reaching well up behind, and far forward in front. 
1 he quarters of the milk vessel are nicely distin¬ 
guishable, but not deeply indented. The teats are 
squarely placed—their distance apart being equal to 
about half the breadth of the udder; and, from back 
to front, about equal to one-third. They hang usu¬ 
ally about two or 2*4 inches from the dug; are tap¬ 
ering. not cone-shaped; and never too thick or fleshy. 
The milk veins are long and twisting in their path 
to the orifices from which they come out of the body. 
The escutcheon, which is quite an artistic feature, 
is well defined, spreading on the thighs and extend¬ 
ing far upward. 
The skin of the Ayrshire is medium in thickness, 
mellow and elastic, springing quickly back after 
being released from the touch. Her hair is solt and 
fine; the “handle” of her body being velvety. The 
color of the hair is red, or a characteristic brown, 
