1 Dec., 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 547 
gallons per day, and the feed had to be withdrawn from her before calving. 
The Ayrshire inherits a hardy constitution, and can stand a good deal of 
exposure, but when she is well taken care of she more than repays the trouble. 
It is scarcely necessary that I should touch on the points of the Ayrshire 
cattle, as I gave them some time ago to the Hon. A. J. Thynne, accompanied 
by some photos of cattle which I brought from home. These appeared in the 
Journal in due course (Vol. I., p. 362, 1897), also the points adopted by the 
Ayrshire Agricultural Society in 1885. There is no material difference in the 
judging at Ayr since 84, but I noticed during my last visit a marked improve- 
ment in the dairy herds throughout Scotland, and the position of judge at one 
of the great shows was no sinecure. 
As regards the treatment of the Ayrshire, it seems to be the opinion 
amongst many of the dairymen here that it does not pay to feed well. My 
experience proves that it does, and the better the quality of the feed civen, and 
the more attention paid to the housing of your cows, all other things being 
equal, the heavier will your credit balance be at your bankers. While it is true 
that the Ayrshire is of a hardy constitution, she must be well cared for to 
produce the best results. Our teed usually consisted of good oaten and lucerne 
chaff, well cut, mixed with chaffed greenstuff. This was then mixed with pollard 
moistened with water, and then all these ingredients were thoroughly mixed in 
a large tub. This was given twice daily, and since I built my new byre at 
Ayrshire Dairy, Eagle Farm, we always have housed the cattle during the cold 
winter nights. My experience is, that it pays handsomely to look well after 
your herd, and though you only keep half the number, see that they are of the 
right stamp, and not only will it take less feed to keep them, but less labour is 
required. It does not pay to keep “scrubbers” here, though to see the herds 
of some farmers one would think they were of a contrary opinion. 
There can be no question as to the superiority of the Ayrshire as a good 
all-round cow for the production of milk, cheese, or butter, and I am confident 
that if the proper breed were established here, they would growin favour. The 
Government have done a great deal to promote the dairying industry here—first 
by the travelling dairy, then by assisting in the building of cheese and 
butter factories, and again by endeavouring to instruct farmers as to the 
prones class of cattle to breed. Present prices paid both at the 
utter and cheese factories pay the farmer well, and the line along 
which he must advance is by |improving the strain of his milkers. 
The laying past of a sufficient stock of feed for winter use is also of the greatest 
importance, as in too many cases still, the farmer’s cows are like the moorland 
farmer’s horse at home, “They grow in summer, and become poor in winter.” 
During my experience here as a dairy farmer, I have bred mostly from New 
Zealand stock, the pedigrees of which were signed by Messrs. A. and J. 
McFarlane, of Dunedin, but were the expense not almost prohibitive, I would 
have liked to import some of the pure-bred Ayrshires from the county they take 
their name from. I had the pleasure of attending the great cattle show at A 
in 1895, and it was a revelation to me of the perfection to which this noted 
breed of cattle had been brought. Ayrshires here were viewed with disfavour 
for some years through dealers (not breeders) bringing over shipments from 
New Zealand of grade, or rather mongrel cattle. ‘These were sold as Ayrshires, 
and pedigrees given, but unskilled purchasers were sadly disappointed with the 
results obtained. ‘The fact is that the proper breed is unknown here, and with 
the exception of a very few, none of them would gain a prize at even the smallest 
local show in Ayrshire. I intended at first to breed bulls for sale at our annual 
exhibition, but there being such a poor demand, low prices, and so little interest 
shown by the farmers in dairy cattle, that I decided not to go on with the 
business. Altogether, Ihave taken 10 champion prizes since 1886, besides a 
great number of others, although for five years I did not exhibit, owing to the 
lack of interest taken in the breed. 
Our dairying industry is yet in its infancy, though we have made great 
strides during the last ten years, and seeing that now our production has over- 
taken the local demand, we must be able to meet foreign producers in the great 
