THE AYRSHIRE COW.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1642, 8 January 1913, Page 10

THE AYRSHIRE COW.

HER MERITS AS A DAIRY MACHINE. In rusli for Holstein, and - Jersey ', yiS'i'M dairy stijck.' the.'Ayrshirp.'breed lins,' to all ;j intents;' anil ~purposrc,"'"di'opj£ttd into tho « *.-■•' V>-" K'bnokgrouhd,:as fur : as 'booming goes,' but' j ; au ndnlil , cr.otVth'D.\bl•oed ) ,MlV, l ~ tUilo, puts in a - word • foi '.'the • Aywhire .in j the'last Journal'of' tho'Dcpartineiit.'of ~ . . Agriculture., -Mr;, Lonsdale roifiarks'that' ( • : wnilo the Ayrshire has probably no equal , on country similar .to that : of its native land, it should : t>o,!'at' Homo |in, . ninny districts ■ot the -Boininion,. espeel- ' ally.jvh'Oii;tho:farfher comes't'p appreciate v i.liiore the importance of'calculating his. \ 'returns:on a:jiet-ns against a>'gros3 ; l)asis. , is .nut. so,, much; what..a, cow,returns , , ■ in a season that . determines her value as ; the liotiial. profit-remaining .aftej' .coat'.'of production has..been.' provided - for.':.ln 1 ' ■; ! . estimating h cow's productive, capacity ,an J ■ ■. important facl^emphasised by herd-tesfcng. _• . : .work niiist bo considered—this'Js, v that. J ;persistency of. flow is ' tho''vital factor, in' i /•V', ; .'the 'upsetting- of j pr6viously-conceived no-, : ■ , ■<" '?. tions to iicowV rivilking-power wlu'cli i systeniatic-.tfstin?;brings-,about;,and, per-;, : - Mstericy'is feature of the \'"./.v«rs(!!ppon^}^ißi' l^lt..4s...»:',c»mmon'.v «c- t ■: ; v ' V perienceWmblig-'owh'ers'of Ayrshire cross-, ; • ' . bred gtosik a' 2' well, cig' of puretrcds.'that,. VK'": when';drought ||or\'other . tryinff <v weather- , / ; : conditions ai'oJ:experienced,; tho '.Ayrshire } f blood distinguishes itself by'holding >on V''. .when' many . other: classes. of-stock' havo '■ .■ fyi. [. lost their' lactation-power under,; the;p'j- .; watic visitation. ;• •-Ufifprtunatoly, in' the past tho Ayrshire \ ■■ v i Itas ■ boat'dargftly vkn'Pwn'' . Zealand 'j ;y:iU" dairy-farmers";-'thrpiigb-' showyard-.'.tyipea • . of tli&: breed- introduced', by "old Scottish vbrecdors/whtfbronght-a great-love oft'iie ; ' milking-cattle of their .native land with-. ; them;" The .'deiliand''at the - .-' - present tiino for dairy cattle with., a pedi-. . greo of performance -behind them has, i' : ;'Tiiippily/ brought the "utility'-,.typo ioUAyi- ■ -r;-..-'.''';.'>#hiro to the front;-This has been 1 greatly v ;facilitated by the work of the "late' Mr. ; , , John- Speir,-, who wag : ;in§tTumontnl',m .in-' ; troducing»herd : testih'jj work'to Scotland, 1 -till ,Ttbrlla^'Vth«4"' Eofespssidij.;; of. a itiilking J pedigree - has morq'to creating - . value tlie; best , art-ay ; -of show-ring '.r.wrtrds, inan' may, possess.. -i The milk-record Ayrshire bull is the most : . valuable : beast ,;in: Scotliirid;'to-day,':,and ;1 tho 'domnnit;for this typo of a .dairy sire : . j; is increasing in all parts of the .world. . i[ ' : -In I (it'.,\th6'- , •; ' . '• of: the old showyard ;ik,-w : :r' ; viiot. to bo 'thohghtf tn'at ftlie itility, typo i 'may bo,deficient in .breed characters. ;■ -'.With the disappearance long;since of ,tho :j ' - ■unfortunate . rulo ; regulating. tho ;length /of tho" teat there nothing in. tho ac- : v;/. :' cepted standard of the purebre(VAyrshire , which conllicts with'milk-producing power, . T ' Tho ideal now. beingjaimed at is an ani- ■ i'' mat of•goodi,cort'stituti<yh,; ilescendikl.'fronv 1 . nulk-te!ited : itock,.. and with undoubted • ;Ayrshire character..V '' ■ 'It ha 9 been declared that the Ayi shire , , ' v is > bad-temp6redand, troublesome. . Any.. : ' ■ - high-spirited nninial can be made vicious : .by careless' training, while,- on the..other. '' hand,others-lis ;no. nnimaL.wbich, will re- : ,■ : epoii'd-so generously to careful and,kindly ' " - treatment..) This-in so : with, thej-Ayrshire." . The cows:of the-l'loumahaki herd are.as •' . ; ! docile a3 6ne c6u.td desire, though they ' oro inclined to ti iiebty in tho presence .of:strangers,-espef (ally at .making-time. ■ : C : .'v•'ln'bouciusion, liT. liorisclcilo.emphasisea. -V:)-.;.'-.tho-factthat,' wh'ile tho dominant cjjfai* . 'i 1 * CV':. acteristic 'of the'. Ayrshire is- ability's to. s -! - 1 prodticb:profitably, on' poorer• • types.;of .• . . country'and maintain -ber -yield •under , . ' > ■ ndverse conditions, she has undoubtedly . '■ tho power of'Tesponding to liberal teedmg and treatment;., A. good instance. . '!. ... nf this- has been alTordod by an investign- ' •a: -- ?t. ! on Agricultural . > ' -V 'College. 'Thr6o .lots .of cows-three; Ayr-'- : ' '-'i shiresrthree-Holsteinsrand, three Jerseys. , • —wcri' sslected for it r.throo years' ' test ■ .' .-, undcr.' cqtinl conditions. ■I'ollowing' was - ; -th'o result:-r— v.-"'-. -' ' ■•jTViV:-.- i-Average-. r : .:- .. '--r'"!-'Milk'''Casein . Fat Casein I'at ' .■: 11>, >lb.i 1:• lb. s■. • 7 77,7W J,025.30'3,115.3G:''2.60 4.01 , : • ' Holsteins 'f. 1,996.15 2,994.23 2.2G 3.39 Jersey:! ;.. 56.G85 1,530.15 2,710,93,2,69.4.7!) . ' A TOUR IN NELSON. ' OF A JISITOR. I".-' ' Writing after ! a run from Nelson to' ; ,flichmofld,''oiir/ travelling' .correspondent' ' gay —"All tho way out evidence iwere • ' .R>en of Kelson's grdat- fruit 'industry— orchards on nil sulos^'-and'"in{vnj, .glnss, : -frroj7a;: ( tho-early • 'Uteinato,.,-crops;;. : ;At. ,^ko ; ;we 7.got into; ■ ' ■~ n. gi-e'at, ;fruit-growing'.-.district,'vin which . ■v v ■ -Ihero were large orchai'ds everyiv-herc, m lvarious*.fitages.,'of'-.growth,:- many, in■ ;fiul V,; - v.'hilo large /areas wero seen. ,of - newly-planted holdings. For.. 1 the . most part these fruit farms are admirably cub ti'vated, weeds are vigorously kcpt dowjl,"; s and the trees well; pruned. '."It"was par- ' iticulai-ly interesting to note tho absence. - "M of. shelter trees, showingthat-.the. Nelsdii PS' . Climate is !'not;ra.vagcd by -\nth \vhicli growers have ,'to contend on 'tho West Coast of tho,.-North ' Island. . ' Shortly after passing; Stoke we' came- to ihe Nelson Freezing . Company's:-,works.' ; ■ This is a -business set on foot by tho , farmei's themselves, and though these' :; ' , . :: "'-'farin6ra''ackndwle'dge'.they have got . . < tnr prices for their' stock sinro; flie;.wbrk3 ■ r£-• started, 'yet: the;work's'do, not'.receive, that. supiiotfrfrofll 'tho 'farming,' oomniuriity ~to which':they are,' justly'.'cntttled;!',uAs 'an .-.■J--'- ; i o'vidente,tlio'totn.l' number.;pf„ s 'sheep,';aiid .!•■ .. '.\lainbs put through last season .was under ; rj: .twenty, thousand. . They actually made . ii'.oro profit on tho .cpld storage "of apples than on tho freezing'itself.'? ■