Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1866-07-21
AoR1ouLruRAL.


BREEDING COWS ron TIiE DAIRY.
Much interest is now manifested by farmers
in all parts of the county, in the improvement
Of mich cows. Tho object chiefly aimed at Ia
to rear hefcrs that will certainty yield milk Of
good qS16ty in great qnaniy and persistcnth, that
is give, il we'll fed, an undiminished flow OF
milk from the time of leaving one calf to with
in about a month of tho time of calving again.
1t is well known that careful breeding will
perpetuate desirable qualities in horses cattle,
sheep and swine, from generation to generation.
By tho skilful selection and mating o.
individuals, most, If not all breeds of domestic
animals can bo improved, by pursuing this
course for length of time, the improvement
becomes 80 great and the reproduction of the
improved qualities so constant, that new and
distinct breed of animals is the result. This is
the way in which all the modern improved
breeds of animals have originated.
The reports Of experiments now being made
by various persons to improve dairy stock, can
not fail to be of great interest and advantage to
the farmers of all parts Of the country, but
especially 80 to those ofthis region, in which
the staple productions are butter and cheese
We therefore proposelto lay these reports before
our readera from time to time as they appear in
the transactions of Agricultural Societies and In
publications devoted to agriculture, and we be-
gin by copying an extract from such a report,
by Thomas Fitch, Of New London, Connecti-
cut recently published in the Csltivasor and
Cpantry Gentleman, on
ALDERNEr CATTLE AND THEiR CROSSES.
Alderney cattle took their name from the
Island Of Alderney, one of the group of islands
on the coast of France, belonging to England,
and known as the "Channel Islands" These
have been stocked from time immemoral
by small hardy cattle, famous for the high
color, richness aud fine flavor of their milk and
butter These cattle are parti-colored, being
usually buf-and-white or dark brown-and-white.
With these preliminary observations, we will
now quote Mr.. Fitch, who says:
Some six or seven years ago, my attention
was called, by friend, to the superior qualities
OF the milk and butter Of the thoroughbred
+ -Alderncy Cows, he having imported several for
his own use. l had admired their beauty, and
fine heads and limbs, but considered them only
very pretty lawn ornaments and pets, suitable
only for rich retired gentlemen. My friend be-
ing very anxious to convince me OF my error,
presented me with thoroughbred bull calf.
commenced crossing with Ayrshires, select ma
tive, Devons Shorthorued, and Madagascars,
and after more than six years experience, have
| satisfied myself, and can demonstrate to any
fair unprejudiced mind, that the greet value Of
Alderney stock is, that it is absolutely inds-
| pensable in crossing, for the production of the
most valuable and highest type of COWS, for
| both rich and poor family and dairy, in this
| country. My own preference for breed is half
Alderney and half Ayrshire; next to that good
selecteds Natives than Devons, last, Shorthorns,
have never seen half-blood Alderney COW
that gave poor milk. If any of the readers OF
the Country Gentleman have, should like to
| hear from them.
My own herd of full bloods and grades, COM
prises over one hundred head, forty odd OF
which are heifers, and COWS in milk and COM
ing in this summer and fall, one of which, moi
full blood, that has a strain of Ayrshire in hel
has produced in seven days, on good pasture
and no other feed, l6 lbs or, of splendid but
ter, besides supplying the family of five per
sons with milk sufficient for tea, coffee, &C.
have several grades that, in short pasture ant
four quarts ship stuff, are now making more
than two pounds Of butter per day, and many
that six quarts of their milk will make more
than one pound of butter.
! Some may think this special pleading, as
am party Interested, but what | say of thi
stock | will prove to any gentleman who viii
take the trouble to weigh and measure for him
self"