KERRIES AND DEXTERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2652, 11 January 1905, Page 6

KERRIES AND DEXTERS.

Writing concerning these hardy and interesting little cattle in the Journal of the British Dairy Farmers' Association, Mr F. A. Hordern remarks that it says" much for the prepotency of the Kerries that, though in earlier years little or no attention was paid to their bleeding, and they were allowed to roam about on the bare and shelterless hillsides and moors in almost a wild state of nature, they nevertheless retained that purity of type which has always been one of their chief characteristics.

A few years ago these cattle were practically unknown outside of" Ireland, one of the first to introduce them into England being Mr Martin Sutton. As is well known, Kerries and Dexters are now exceedingly popular in England, both as general-purpose cattle and, in the case of the Dexters at anyrate, as ornamental park cattle. A combination of good qualities makes them suitable for these purposes. It is, however, to the capabilities of the Kerry as a dairy cow that Mr Hordern especially draws attention. At the Royal Counties Show a Kerry exhibited by him came out remarkably well in the "milking trials." giving more butter in. proportion to the quantity of milk than either the first or second prize cows, though one of these was a Jersey. The Kerry in question, which secured on this occasion the v.h.c. card and reserve, had not received artificial food of any kind, but only the green food allowed hy the society. "It will be remembered that at the dairy show held at %he Royal Agricultural Grounds, Islington, London, the few Kerries and Dexters shown came in for a deal of admiration. To our minds they appeared to be much more economical and workmanlike, if we may use the term, than some of the other dairy cattle on exhibition."