Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-12-15
Here. about a century ago, began a

which, though not over promising aC
first has resulted in the production
of breed of cattle which has come
to be recognized among intelligent
dairy men, quite generally, as one OF
the best, if not the very best breed
for dairy purposes.
Mr.. Alton, in his Treatise on the
Dairy Breed of Cows" thus describes
the Ayrshire cattle 1.-The shapes
most approved of are-head small,
but rather long and narrow at the
muzzle; the eye small, but smart aud
lively; the horns small, clear, crook
ed, and their roots at considerable
distance from each other; neck long
and slender, tapering toward the head
with no loose skin below; shoulders
thin; fore quarters light; hind quar-
tiers large; back straight, broad be
hind, the joints rather loose and open
carcass deep, and pelvis capacious
and wide over the hips, with round,
heshy buttocks; tail long and small
legs small and short, with firm joints;
udder capacious, broad and square,
stretching forward, and neither fleshy,
low hung, nor loose; the milk veins
large and prominent; teats short, all
pointing outward and at a consider
able distance from each other; skin
thin and loose; hair soft and woody.
The head, bones, horns, and all parts
of least value, small; and the general
figure compact and well proportion
ed" Mr. Rankine says; compared
with other improved breeds, the
thighs, or what is called the twist of
the Ayrshire COW, are thin. She is
Enthusiastically, not heshy animal"
Mr.. Youatt says 1.-The Ayrshire
farmers prefer their dairy bulls accor-
ding to the feminine aspect of their
head and necks; and wish them not
roand behind, but broad at the hook
bones and hips, and full in the TANKS.
Experience dearly bought FED 10 this,
for the consequence OF the crossing Of
the small native breed with the heavy
cattle imported from the south, was a
bony ill-shaped animal, not much i'm
proved as mixer. and its DISPOSE.
ton to fat lamentably decreased"
The origin of Ayrshire COW is even
now matter of dispute. The "na
tive" cattle of that part of Scotland
were small, i'll fed and i'll treated
and when their Improvement began
it is quite probable that the efforts
were quite desultory, and without any
design to build up a breed of cattle
that should take pre-eminence as {
dairy stock.
One point only seems to be wei
established, and that is that there
was a strong effusion of foreign blood
By some it is claimed to have Deen OF
short horn, and there are short-horl
breeders who persist to this day il
calling the Ayrshire grades Short
horns. By others it is claimed tina
the new blood was of some of the
Channel Island breeds, but the natur
al characteristics OF the different
breeds diSprove this theory. Their,
are various other theories on the sub
iect, but they all lack the one thins
needful-prOOf to sustain them.
Without doubt when the improve
mont was once begun, more gener
Gus system of feeding and a bette
course of treatment generally, wa
adopted, and the change in the gencr
al characteristics of the stock was rap
id and very marked. At any rat
the Ayrshire cattle are now wei
marked and well defined breed, an,
are so acknowledged by all writers
and most breeders of every class, an,
have long been distinguished for thei
remarkable dairy qualities, for tn
: quantity of milk they yield in proper
! ton to the size of the animal and th
i amount of food consumed.
= Many farmers, unable to refute th
: claims of the admirers of the Ay
= shires, console themselves with tb
reflection that they were produced b
y a process of careful selection and j
dicious crossing of the native stoc
of County Ayr, and propose to then
selves to build up breed of dair
:, stock from our native cattle.
y No sane man will for a moment d
, ny that our native race may be am
liorated by careful choice, and syst
: matte breeding; but the process
slow and uncertain, and offers bl
" little inducement to the enterprisir
. breeder compared with that of obtai
~ ing first crosses from imported an
. mails that have been more close
/! bred. 1t matters but little to
II what may have been the origin of Il
- Ayrshires if we strenuously resist Il
~ temptation to be inveigled by belle
~ in their low origin into the expel
: ment of building up breed from o.
native stock.
k. 1t is nearly forty years since Il
: Importation of AyrshireS into til
l. country was begun. 1t is believ,
q that during that period the improv
~ ments in the breed have been as CO
70 siderable here as in Scotland, al
+ !. there are not wanting plenty of we
~ Informed men who nnhesitatingly +;
10 sert that there are better animals he
Q than there, which may not seem i
:, probable when we, remember that ,
10 are exporting ohort-horn breedi
- animals at prices beyond anythi
70 ever paid in England. Mr.. Secreta
- Flint of the Massachusetts Board
70 Agriculture, who is among our b.
authorities on this subject, says !:
aSinaa that time tho hrapd has ha