The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1866-11-08
Best Breeds Of Cattle fer Dairy PAR
noses.

\ writer on dairy stock, in the Mark
Lane Express thus alludes to the breeus
most in esteem in Great Britain:
OF breeds in general use, and of ac-
knoNledged merit for dairy purposes,
are the Dutch ,Short-horns, Crosses, and
the Ayrshire. Dutch cattle are of large
4 size; prevailing color black, with some
times white patch over the back, re-
sembling a sheet, and are, from this,
distinguished by the name Of sheeted
COWS. They are heavy mixers, but the
milk is OF rather poor quality, and not
very productive of butter. For this
reason they are more suitable for parties
who have large contracts, and supply
warehouses, prisons, hospitals and 9th
er public institutions With milk, than
for the ordinary farmer who has to man
ufacture his produce into butter and
cheese. Another very serious objection
to Dutch cattle is the difficulty of fattcn-
ing them when past their prime, and
the large quantity offood they consume
in the endeavor to prepare them for the
butcher. On account of these two faults
in the character Of this, at one time rath-
er popular breed, they have of late
years been going down i'll public csti-
h nation.
Ofall other descriptions of cattle, Short
Horn Crosses ere now the most popu-
lar, where dairy business and rearing
and feeding are carried Oh simultaneous
ly. They are, for the most part admir-
able mixers; their calves, both heifers
and bulloeks, can be fed off at an early
age, and, coming to heavy weights,
bring large and renumerative prices;
While the cows themselves, when no
longer useful for the dairy, are easily
iattened; and can be quickly got rid Of.
In the three kir gdoms, but more par
ticularly England and Ireland, this va
riety of cattle is to be found in every
county, and on every kind Of land,
varying in size Of course, according to
the quality of the land. The same dis
tinctive features are, however, always
retained, and they attain an immense
size, and give extraordinary quantities
Of milk, where the soil is rich and
the climate congenial to their habits
and constitution.
The Ayrshire next claims attention;
and il may be concluded With safety
thai when fIAirN produce s the sole or
Iets. .elld where t'.o 4aa&. Is light ;.AQ u
indifferent quality, tais breed is the
most valuable Of any. Mere size in
this case is not much of an object, as the
small Ayrshire is considered q better
N.e4i : WV iIitttl tiiI l.Ai 81 "
sized variety. To keep them small in
in size, and partly to adapt them to the
inferior pastures of Ayrshire and neigh
boring counties, they are very moderate
ly kept in the earlier stages of their
growth, particularly in the second year.
This is supposed to add to theirmill>ins
properties, and as they are generally
made to produce at the age twoyears,
an Ayrshire COW on her native pastures
is usually very small indeed. When
removed to other countries, and placed
upon richer pasture, they grow larger
but by doing so, the milking powers art
unquestionably Injured. So marked Is
this principle, that the Ayrshire COW
seldom found in the same perfection, as
a mixer, as she is to be seen on her ma
tive soil, which may be said to comprise
the county from which she derives hel
name. and the adjacent counties of Ian
ark, Renfew, and Dumbarton. There
she takes her position as the dairy go"
par etcsHeace, and is highly and desefV
eddy priced.