Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-04-26
How They Did IL.

bred stock by our writings in reference to |
the limited value of such stock in com |
munity Of farmers that have not yet learned |
the necessity of great skill and care in breed |
ing, and sufficient liberality in feeding, in
order to keep up the valuable characteristics
Of an imported stock which is the produce
Of like skill care and liberality abroad.
But in what we have written on this sub
iect we have not designed to discredit the
thoroughbreds of other countries; or in any
way TO DENY their value, even for breeding
purposes here. On the contrary, we have
used them to enforce the importance of such
improvements in our lusbaudry as would en-
able American farmers, not here and there, bat
as a class, to keep up and continue the high
qualities Of these thoroughbreds. We have
argued. not against their worth, but against
the wothessncss Of ow ways which prevent
us from either maintaining the goodness Of
what we import, or improving what We al
ready possess.
We have argued, too, that even without
the general use Of imported thoroughbreds,
the right skill and care would enable us,
from our common stock to produce breeds
that would have all the good characters of
any foreign kind, without the drawbacks of
high cost and imperfect adaptation to our
wants and climate
In illustration and confirmation of these
views, we find much that is interesting in a
little work published in Edinburgh Scot
land, in 1925, half century ago, in which
is detailed the origin and early history of
that now popular animal, the Ayrshire COW.
This work is entitled A Treatise on the
Dairy Breed of Cows and Dairy IIusbandry,
by William Alton, Esq" Mr. Alton says
"The means by which that breed has been
valuable in Scotland, is interesting, as it
shows ;he great pliability of the animal
economy, and holds out encouragement for
improving every species of livestock. If
breed within living memory, what may not
be further effected, now tina, the fexibiity
of animal economy and the general prin-
ciples of breeding begin to be much better
understood 2"
Here it is distinctly affirmed, and it is re
peated in other parts of the book, that the
original Ayrshire cattle were among thu
worst in Scotland. Yet, within the memor,
of men then living, they had been so i'm
proved as to be unequalled by any othe
in Scotland, and not excelled by any in Eng
land" Within the last fifty years, since tn
publication Of Mr. Atoms treatise, sucl
further improvement has been effected il
this stock, that for general dairy purposes i
is admitted to be superior to any othe
breed whatever, unless the Dutch stock b.
an exception. That England has nothing
equal to them, is shown by the great deman'
for these very COWS in the best dairy dis
tricts of that country. Even fifty years age
according to Mr.. Alton, "cslonies of tina
breed had been carried from Ayrshire +
every county from Caithness to Kent, AM
several thousands from Ayrshire into Eng
land in single year"
Mr.. Alton says of the origin of tn
Ayrshire COW "The dairy breed of COW
in Ayrshire, now so greatly esteemed, ar
not an ancient or indigenous race, bu
are breed begun to be formed With
the last forty, and chiefly within the La
twenty years" "Only during the preser
generation was any improvement begun
be made, and it is only within the last twent
years, or thereby, that that improvement
merited notice" "Til after the year us
they were puny, unshapely and inferi'
breed of cattle"
II, in so short time, such a stock as thi
could be made into the " Ayrshire DAN
cow" how long could it take to make Il
vermont dairy cow from our commc
as TO soil and natural value as a grain
country, is very much inferior to our state
How was this great change effected l.
Mr. Alton, born and bred among them
the very time this change was in progres
tell us; "These cows were of dminuti,
size, ill-ied, ill-shapcd, aud yielded but
scanty return in milk. Their horns we
high and crooked, having deep ringets
the root, the plainest proof that the catt
were but scanty fed, and few of the
yielded more than six or eight quarts
milk per day, when in their best plight
"A wonderful change has since been made
a change A" into something as different fro
what they were, as any two breeds can
from each other They are almost doul
the size, and yield about four times Il
quantity OF milk" These alterations,
though they are extensive, haze not b.
made by replacing them ,odh different bree
but The changes hare been effected upon
former breed partly By sldfui breeding, a
still more ny BETTER FEEDING AND 1GEA
MEST."
We have italicised and capitalized the
last sentences, because they pithily embo
what we have so frequently urged upon o
readers and because the process is one tn
any farmer can resort to and follow succe
fully without any great expenditure
means beyond his own control witho
any expenditure, in short, but one of brai
and care So true is this, that Mr. Alton