THE AYRSHIRE COW.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1322, 22 March 1884, Page 2

THE AYRSHIRE COW.

In an article on tho valuo of tho Ayrshire cow for general dairy purposes iu tho Rural Now Yorker, Professor, Honry Stowart argues that, whon nil things are considered, she is tho best. This is what ho has to say on her behalf Without disparaging any other raco or breed, I bog to be allowed to express my preference for the Ayrshire cow as a farm or dairy cow for all purposes of such uses, and to glvo what I beliove to bo the very best reasons for my preference. The fame of tho Jersoys is built upon tho record of but a very few animals, and whon wo mention Alphea and two or throe others, wo como to a stop, and liavo to begin counting back to tho traces of thoao notod cows ; and whon wo havo dono ,wo may have oouutcd twenty or thirty, 'or let us bo liberal, and say 40 noted cows, and there aro 14,400 loft out of tho 15,000 Jersey cows in America which ono never hears of. But wo might go among the Ayrshiro herds and find every ono an excellent cow whoso record is noteworthy, but whose owner "koeps her for her worth to him, and is notexpecting to soli her by-and-byo with all her progeny, and put money in his pocket that way. Wo find tho Ayrshiro a handsome, well-formed, brightly-colored, compact, robust Cow ; stout-bodiod, and promising good boof whon lier natural ond comes ; hardy, and not requiring to bo driven under shelter when a thuadorstorm of hailstorm threatens, or when tho Blooty temppat of Nqvembor would drive a loss robqst animal indoors. Her broad, deep, long udder, capacious and woll-formed, with her well-placed toats, and thocopiops milk vein, all ovidencos of a largo yield of milk. Her deep abdomen, straight, broad back, and well rounded ribs show that hpr digestive organs aro woll dovoloped, and her capacity for turning out good into milk and butter iB based upon a natural proclivity thereto. In short, it may bo Baid of the Ayrshire that while she is tho most popular cow for a dairy business sho has the merit of possessing tho highest re? cord in her native home, for the Scotoh country of Ayrshire contains more than 50,000 pure-bred Ayrshiro cows, while In other parts of Scotland she is exclusively tho dairy cow, and at tho same timp is kept in large numbers in all the prinoipal dairy counties in England. This fact alone speaks volumes for tho character and solid reputation of the Aynhires both in her own native locality and in other districts whore popularity is gained only by solid merit. All I claim for the Ayrshire cow can be proved most conclusively by abundant evidence of tho very bait kind. I consider that my preference is wholly justified.