A SOUTH DEVON COW

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1715, 11 January 1905, Page 68

A SOUTH DEVON COW

The champion milk cow of the Dairy Show at London last year was a Devon South Ham, a breed that has long been noted for its milking powers, hut which has not been so well-known to the dairy farming community recently. It used to be exhibited in former years, and perhaps it is now coming to the front again—at any rate, ft is reported that at the above Show the class for Ayrshires is to be abolished on account of the poor show of the same in reoent years, and one for Devons instituted. This animal is or a deep red colour all over —“self-coloured” —with white udder and tail tassel; medium sized, or at Least not quite so large as the Shorthorn ; wide horns of fine quality, yellow nose, full eye, and so on. It produces a Lot of rich milk, which one at once associates with Devonshire cream. This prize winner yielded about five and ahalf gallons at the Show, which contained an average of over 4 per sent, of fat. A neighbour of the writer is a Devonshire man, who keeps Devons for the London milk trade, and who swears by the breed as the best cows on earth. It is one of the remarkable failings of all stockmen, of aIL kinds, to think that the particular breed they have a fancy for is the best of its kind, and that it can “lick creation.” Pads of this kind, however, do no harm, and may do much good, because it is the enthusiast who carries on the development of the world, and the man who develops cows is doing a service to his fellowmen. IsTow that a South Devon lias won all the principal cups at the Dairy Show, and shown the mettle of the breed, we may expect the same to come more and more to the front.