Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-03-21
Whole Number 1924

. HH
adds, ''These staticties, with every fes-
ture in favor OF the native COW, certainly
Justify claims for high value to the AYR
shire stock as mixers"
At meeting of the New York State Dali
~ Association and Board of trade. held at
Ulea,on the 9th and 9TH Of February. 1873.
Mr.. MeAdams compared Short Horns and
Ayrshires for the dairy. In 1979 be mr.
chased the milk o. a neighbOring Short
Horn herd and mixed it with the milk Of
his AYrshlres, and found the milk to be
poorer than that from the Ayrshires alone.
He made a comparative test the next sea-
son, and Tor the month of June found the
following result: Ayrshires, Ga cows. 65--
$50 pounds Of milk; cheese, 6, ,424 pounds:
daily average per COW, SO pounds Of milk.
add cheese 81 pounds. Short Horns, "a
cows, 80, $50 pounds Of milk; cheese, 4, ,797
pounds; daily average Of milk per COW, 27
pounds, and cheese 2 pounds, 2 ounces.
More than one pound Of cheese per COW g
day, IN favor Of the Ayrshires.
de says that both herds were pastEred in
adjoining fields, on land Of similar quality
and that both herds were considered first
class OF their respective breeds. s
Mr.. Alonzs Libby, Saearappa, Maine,
gives US record especially interesting. as
it institutes aeOmparisOn between different
breeds and grades on the same feed and
treatment: Four imported Ayrshire COWS
average per year, for two years, 5000
pounds Of milk each; four pure bred heif-
ers, two years old, averaged 8, ,748 pounds;
four grade AYrshires averaged 1859. Six
pure bred Jerseys averaged 4,549; six
grade Jerseys, 5,619 pounds; two natives,
8, sos pounds; two year old Ayrshire heifers
gave mole than either Jerseys, their grades,
or natives.
Statements Of milk yields are abundant;
but the most Of them are Of little value,
being exceptional cases, produced by ex-
traVagant feeding and selected animals.
In the comparisons given have selected
those where conditions were equal, or
against the Ayrshire.
There is another question considered i'm
portant by most dairymen. And that is
the beef question. The truth seems to be
that IN the Ayrshire the shapes are not
those which are the most profitable to the
butcher. They do not cut up with so
much economy as the Short Horn. But
the quality Of their meat, and their ability
TO produce it at a low cost can be easily
proven.
In Scotland the older cows and steers are
used extensively for the purposes Of food.
Almost every reference to the merits of the
Ayrshire breed refer to their grazing quail
ties. Thus Alton says that ''their meat
is better than that of most other breeds on
account Of the fat being more evenly mixed
with the lean," and claims that the dry
COW fattens faster tEan any other breed.
Thomas Farral, Carlisle, England, says:
Although the Ayrshire COW is bred chiefly
for milking purpores, she also fattens very
quickly when put dry, for the same func-
tons which ordinarily fill the udder also
cover the frame with fat" Mr.. L. F. Al
len says, f'Ws see no good reason WhEthey
should not make proper animals for slaugh-
ter as their general appearance indicates
good feeding qualities:
One farmer, whose dairy is composed en-
tirely Of Ayrshires, says; 'The Ayrshlres
are hardy and thrifty; are easily fsttened,
and make excellent beef. While for milk
ing, in our country they are infinitely bet
ter than any breed I have ever seen. They
viii fstten where a Durham COW viii keep
as poor as a rail; and | have known them
to furnish from 500 to 900 pounds Of
dressed meat. Opinions Of their worth
could be multiplied to almost any extent.
But there is one more question Ihat s
their adaptabilitY. The fact should not
lldlc u LAldsl al lAGCll9 va --SA 49,
equal advantage when brough. into the
same locality. In nature We observe nee
fitness Of the animal for its place we
ves~- the Short Horn brought from
1tiVsted q few years, and re-
oYement over the original;;
-v-iiness may be lnIerea
apsFal. The Ayr
zY-yF- euelleve
spted 70 our scanty
-, ar particularly loose style Of
farming Of which so much has been said in
this ConYentIOn..o~. 81 .r
Weshould breed to a purpose. If the
Ayrshire does not suit You, choose some
thing else. Take the Jersey, the Holsteins
or the Short Horn, II you like, but take
something. Know what you want, and
why you want it, and then get it. s..
have in mind ehe dairyman who has
bred his own COWS for more than thirty
years, and from the same old stock, because
they were so good; and he has not had
COW in the last ten years tha5 would pay
for her keeping. He don't want any Ayr
shires, or anything else. he breeds from
the old stock. And fear that too many
of US are doing the same thing.