546 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Dec., 1899 
THE AYRSHIRE COW. 
By JOHN STEWART, SEnr. 
Ayrshire Dairy, Eagle Farm. 
Mucu has been said and written on the origin, capability as a large milk- 
producer, points, and general treatment of the Ayrshire cow; and having been 
engaged in dairying, near Ayr, from my earliest years up to departure for this 
colony, sixteen years ago, I have been requested to pen a few lines on the above 
subject to your esteemed Journal. 
The origin of the Ayrshire breed cannot be distinctly traced ; some writers 
assert that they were produced by a cross of the Alderney with the native cattle 
of Scotland. Others, again, maintain that they were produced from the best 
milking strains of shorthorns, and also from the West Highland cow. I 
recollect reading a paper where it was stated that a Dutch vessel was once 
wrecked on the coast of Wigtonshire, and some of the cattle swam ashore, these 
being the nucleus of the present very extensive herds in that famous dairying 
country. The most successtul breeder that I can remember was the late Mr. 
Parker, of Nether Broomlands, Irvine, whose cattle were rather small and deer- 
like, not possessing the depth and width essential for deep milkers ; therefore, 
his success was ane nally with dry and young cattle, and he seldom gained. 
rizes for their milking capabilities. In my opinion, they were bred from 
the Highland cows, their characteristics being beautiful head and horns, straight 
back, and fine barrel ribs. Some years later, when in the opinion of the best 
judges the breed was diminishing in size and being impaired in constitution, the 
late great ironmaster, Mr. Baird, who was then residing at Cambusdoon Castle, 
near Ayr, offered a handsome special prize for the largest Ayrshires. The 
breeders then resorted to the cross with the best milking strains of the short- 
horns to produce size and width at the tor or hook bones. The result was 
satisfactory only in altering the colour too much to the white, and now, for 
some years, prizes have been given for Ayrshires of a browner or red colour in 
preference, all the other points of course haying due weight in the award. 
During the first half of this century, the breed were polled or crummy horned, 
that is, shorthorns turning inwards. Some 35 years ago I visiteda farmnear Dalry, 
New Galloway, and the cows there, which were called Ayrshires, were all polled, 
having evidently been bred from the Galloway cattle. It was found, howeyer, 
that the Galloways were more suitable for beef-producing than for milking 
qualities, hence this class of cattle became almost extinct. Wigtonshire now is 
famous for its breed of Ayrshire cattle, which are exported all over the world, 
and as a great dairying centre it has no superior in Scotland. Many of the 
prizes offered for competition at the great show at Kilmarnock, open to Great 
Britain and Ireland, are won by Wigton dairymen, and some of the most 
successful dairy factories in the world are situated near Stranraer. I do not 
coincide with the opinion that the breed emanated from the Alderney or the 
Galloway cross. It is more probable that the happy medium was attained, first, 
from the Highland cow, and then, from the old milking shorthorn, and I have 
observed that the cattle having dark points have been the breed truest to type. 
Asa milk-producer, the Ayrshire cow stands pre-eminent, and this fact is 
being recognised more and more every year, large shipments of the finest cattle 
being sent to the Continent, notably Denes a country which is noted for its 
thorough systematic dairy management. As far back as 1837, for the promotion 
of dairying, the Massachusetts Society, in America, imported some Ayrshires, 
one of which yielded 16 Ib. of butter weekly for a considerable time on grass 
feed only. During my experience of dairying in Queensland, I have found 
that my return from Ayrshires was far in advance of that from any other 
breed; as an instance, I might mention the cow “Daisy,” here illustrated, 
which was champion at Brisbane in 1886-87-88, and which died of milk-fever on 
9th September, 1889. Her milking record for six weeks after calving was 63 
