DAIRY NOTES.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2279, 22 September 1899, Page 4

DAIRY NOTES.

The Ayrshire

The Improvement of New South Wales Stock. From the Agricultural <:„ytt> of A" ,S »'. Bv M. \. O'Calmohan. PART IV. The South Coast Cattle. The Illawarra Durhams. The South Coast cattle, according to the best authorities, originated trom crossing the Hoistein, Ayrshire, and Durham breeds. Then the farmers, finding thoso of the Durham type the most suitable for their requirements, favoured this breed for sires, and thus in time the principal features of evidence of the other breeds disappeared, and what is known as a grade Durham is the result. Had the farmers persevered in their breeding without the recent introductions of Ayrshire blood, as I believe some breeders have done, a new breed of cattle capable of transferring in all cases their characteristics to their progeny might have been introduced to the world. Even now, I think if the best specimens of the South Coast cattle of the old type were collected and mated to an imported Durham bull (which would give new blood without altering the characteristics of the breed), a herd of cattle would be developed which would be bound to make its mark at the dairy, and which would be to all intents and purposes a distinct breed, for though resembling the English Durham the foundation of the breed would be very different.

I have already expressed the opinion that, in order to produce the best specimens and the best herds to be met with on the South Coast a considerable amount of intelligence and skill in breeding must have been exercised, especially when it is remembered the limited material available for selection and crossing.

Of British breeds the Ayrshire has long been held up as the true dairy cow. Of the typical dairy-cow breed, of vigorous constitution, and yielding a larger quantity of milk in proportion to its size than any other breed, it did not receive its high place without much justice. However, nowadays that quality has become an equally important question with quantity, especially in buttermaking countries, the Ayrshire will have a hard fight to hold its own with the Jersey and Kerry cattle which, though they do not average as great a quantity, yield a milk much richer in butter-fat. The student in cattle-breeding of the present day would have difficulty in recognising the popular Ayrshire of to day with the prints and illustrations of this breed of fifty years ago. The horns (or their absence) always are a distinguishing trait in different breeds of cattle, yet while at one time no exception was taken to an Ayrshire whose horns, provided they were not coarse, pointed outwards with a slight curve and upward tendency (and I have seen some of the best Ayrshires in this colony with this type of horn), at the present day such a cow would be passed over in our showyards, probably classed as not pure-bred. The Ayrshire horn of to day must point upwards, with a backward tendency, and curve inwards, something after the style of a typical Kerry cow horn. Colour is also a show-yard point of very great importance just now, the light coloured animals (white with dark or yellow spots) being most fashionable. I consider it a mistake that a matter of fashionable colour should have such weight in the judging of animals which are solely intended for practical work. Although many ladies nowadays play at dairying, and like to have their butter served up in floral fashion, still the stockyard is not a millioner's shop, and our judges should not display too much of the lady's tendency, unless it be acknowledged that animals of the fashionable colour have some practical superiority over the other prescribed colours of the breed. Dark brown, or red flaked with white, was at one time a prevailing colour, while black with some white was not an uncommon colour.

The Ayrshire, in order to be a good dairy cow (and this might be repeated of all breeds), must be in form of the wedgeshape, light and flat in the bone, and loose, thin, ;ind silky in the skin, without its being so thin as to denote delicacy. The neck should be of medium length, light, and tapering towards the head, with no loose Mesh or skin about the throat. The fore-quarters should be light, thin from a front view, with a light brisket. Immediately we leave this point, the animal should increase in size and depth backwards. Too many of our cows are weak behind the shoulder, and tlat on the rib, thus showing want of lung and of digestive powers, the two great things necessary for a cow in order to keep up a large and continuous supply of milk. The digestive organs worn in conjunction with the lungs, and the health and strength of the animal, and its ability to supply plenty of blood, from which to continually secrete milk, must depend on a healthy heart and luuus and powerful digestive organs. Hence the chest must be roomy, the ribs well sprung, the hip bones rather high and wide apart, with a good breadth between the thighs, thus showing a large pelvic cavity, as well as plenty of room for the development of a large udder. The udder of the Ayrshire, provided the teats are not too small, is one of the most perfect and characteristic features; being large, extending well backward and torward, and held close up to the body, thus bringing it near to the blood vessels. When milked, the udder should be very small, showing no useless tlesh, and its skin should be silky and elastic. The size of the milk veins, which serve to carry the blood from the udder after it has done its work (as the size of these veins act as a guide as to the quautity of blood which parses through the glands), acts as a useful guide to a heavy milker, and these should always be taken into account when selecting a dairy cow. The escutcheon is a point that also should never be overlooked. It should be wide, running out on to the thighs and well up, the nearer to the tail the better, and covered with fine silky hair. .Noil. —In our next we will deal with the " Jersey."