THE AYRSHIRE BREED.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1680, 21 February 1913, Page 8

THE AYRSHIRE BREED.

IS A REVIVAL PENDING? During the last few yoArs the Jersey and Holstein boom lias teen a feature of the dairying world, and other breeds, particularly the Ayrshire, have, 'comparatively speaking, been neglected. Those breeders who liuve stuck'to the Ayrshire, however, aro loud in their praise of her capabilities at the pail, aud many of them have held that it only wantea a little time before the Ayrshiro would again bo a very popular fancy. One of tho leading dairy experts in New Zealand holds a similar opinion, and goes the length of prophesying that within three years the Ayrshire will bo in or about the forefront of New Zealand dairy-breeds. The Ayrshiro is a hardy heavy producing breed, which lias of late years gone up and down a great deal in favour iu the dairy world. Show ring faddists in. Scotland have done much to minimise the value of the breed as far as thq average dairy farmer is concerned. Fancy horns,, small teats, aud a tight, fleshy type of u'dder became necessary characteristics for ring success, colour : also came to the fore, and each of these alleged improvements mndo the animal less valuable as a dairy farmer's cow. Since the breed lost some its hold many of tho 'Scottish breeders have come to realise the mistake they made, and beauty fads have given way to utility. Short teats have always told against the Ayrshire in the past, and many dairymen shun the breed on this account! Careful breeders, however, have remedied this defect,, and it is possible to see whole herds of Ayrshires with perfect udders and good : sizod teats. The teats, however, arc rarely larjje. The outstanding characteristic ot the Ayrshire is its hardihood, which enables it-to thrive aud produce a-good quantity of milk under hard conditions, -.which no other breed could stand, Iu Scotland the

young stock is turned out during the first couplo of winters, and this no doubt is largely' responsible for the hardy constitution of the breed. The Ayrshiro has been recognised as a chcescniaker's cow, owing to the fact that the percentage of total: solids in proportion to fat in her milk is said to be high, and also because the fat globules are small iu size, thus enabling the cheesemaker to have a minimum of loss ill his whey., What, therefore, is a point of advantage in the cheesemuking cow ,inay be a disadvantage in the hutter-making animal,. / because the larger the fat globiiles' the ; moro easily, does .the cream .separate: from, the - milk, and also the better the grain of. the but-, ter. ' Whilo not, generally speaking, a' first-class butter cow, . the Ayrshire'milk is admirably.suited for city supply, being safely above the legal standard. The following points of an Ayrshire, as drawn- 'up for grading purposes by the Ayrshire Herd Book Society, will enable readers to study in detail ,the various points of the breed:— , ~ ■

I. Head short; forehead white; nose ' fine between 'the muzzle and 1 eyes, muzzle large, eyes full and . lively; horns wide set 011, in- ■ cliniug upwards .00 ,2. IS'eck moderately long, ; and straight ,' from the head to tho top of tho shoulder, freo from loose skin 011 the under side, fine'at its junc'tion with the-head, ami enlarg- . ■ ing symmetrically' towards the' shoulders !. 5 8. Forequarters—shoulders sloping; 'withers fine; chest sufficiently ; .. broad and deep to ensure consli- , tution; brisket and whole /orequarters light; tlie cow gradually ' increasing, in depth nnd • width backwards 5 L Back short and straight; l.spino well defined, especially at, the: ' -.shoulders; ribs short anil arched; lx)dy deep at the llank.v 10 5. Hindquarters long, broad and straight;, hook-bones wido npait, and not overlaid with fat; thighs deep anil broad (but '.hill of itoh .on the-iinner. thigh or twist); • tail long, slender ncd'set on level with tho baok ..: ; 8. 6. Udder capacious and not fleshy, '.hinder-part broad (and rounded ... like the side of a cheese), tho whole firmly attached, to' the- .., body; the solo barely .level and extending'well forward; milk ; veins well developed; teats from 2 to 2\, inches long;' equal in > !' - thickness ■ and hanging perpen- , . dicularly; distance apart at the ; sides equal to one-third of the length of.the vessel, and across to about one-half the breadth... 33 7. Legs, short in proportion to size; ' bones fine and joints firm ...... 3 8. Skin soft and elastic, and .covered with soft, close woolly hair ....:. 5 , 9.,C010ur retl, of any- shade, brown' .or,white, or. a mixture of these, each colour, being distinctly, de-. ' ' fined. Brindle, or black and white, is not in favour ............ 3 10. Average' live weight, in full milk, about 10|cwt. : -8 11. General appearance and rnove- ■ ment stylish 10 Perfection ........'....''100 The escutcheon is not mentioned iri the above, scale'Of points, hriil experts hold, tliat 111 England and Scotland ' sufficient, attention'is not paid to this point.