lII.—CATTLE (Continued).

Otago Witness, Issue 2275, 7 October 1897, Page 6

lII.— CATTLE (Continued).

In some dairying districts iv tho west of SJcofcland — the original home of the Ayrshire— many large dairy-farmers use Ga'loway bulls on their Ayrshire cows, and keep up their stock of cows ■by, purchasing a certain number of heifers annually. But, if a tar ting j?"clliiy on average? good land, I should be inclined to begin with pure Ayrshirce, and by using a shorthorn bull breed inte shorthorn-Ayrshire cows. These tire, I repeat, second to none as all-round dairy animals — that is, of course, supposing that they are bred from a milking strain of shorthorns. It is now very generally admitted, even amongst; shorthorn breeders, that in the rage for early* m&tuiiug beef auimals the milking properties of the shorthorns received very scant attention from breeders, with the natural result that ia some strains their value ia' tbia respect was seriously impaired. Some breeder?, however, kept afct-adily to breeding the general- purpose anitni'-l, and iv some districts in fcho Home' country — notaWy in Cumberland and Westmoreland — there are many herds of pure shorthorn cows whose milking records will compare favourably with tbo«« of any other breed.

Bub no matter on what lines dairy cows are bred, a liberal diet, a plentiful supply of pure wate-, and a eleaole-kept warax stall in winter are e.-sautial if dairying is to be carried oa profitably.