Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-07-14
lFrom The Cutlva or and Country Gontcmanl
cows FOR ENERAL USE
ny A Nrw.rNalANp rAnnrn.

WV Vh " r. " r. " n IL y Ls
ny A NEw-ENGLAND FARMER.
A correspondent Of the Country Gentleman
inquiries very pcrtinenty what breed Of cattle
should be selected with view Of making
butter and turning them of to the shambles
when their usefulness for dairy purposes is
ended. This is the aim majority of farmers
have ia raising stock and amid the discus
sons on iarcy COWS bred for specific objects,
the wants Of the agricultural community at
large ore lost sight Of 1t may be laid down
as a truism that there has been no class Of
animals more suitable for dairy purposes than
what arc called native stock--hccausc they
have been grades of early importations from
all parts of the world, and the admxturo of
qualities has produced q hardy, good-sizcd,
milky and bcefy race, and if the best had
been culed out and bred to pure bred bulls,
and the progeny well cared for, we should
have had class Of mixers superior, on the
average to any in the world, and animals ft
for the butcher at an early age. But gross
neglect in raising the young, piuching pastures,
poor hay and mongrcl bulls, have dctcroratcd
the stock 80 much that we are compelled to
begin anew, and start about where our fathers
left off century ago. We have now present.
ed for our consideration the Durhams, Deyons,
Holstein, Ayrshire, Jersey, Guernsey, &c,
and writers abound who praise up this or that
breed according as their wishes may dictate,
or if inexperienced in practical farming, as
they are told
4 very accomplished writer in a popular
magazine lately instructed the public that the
Ayrshire is the COW for Ncw-England, as he
was informed by those Interested in that spe-
cies of stock that the return from such cows
in butter aud cheese is estimated at 500 per
year, and in milk at sl75 year, and his
city readers probably believed that such was
the average yield of COWS but farmers know
that it must be exceptional cows aud excep-
tional circumstances to produce any such
returns.
The average yield from the best diaries in
Orange County is nothing like that and in
the experiments continued for several years
by Ayrshire owners in Scotland, Colonel Pratt
and the Utica Asylum in Newly ork, recorded
in the Country Gentleman Colonel Pratt's
dairy of native cows equalled those Of the
competitors in the amount of milk produced,
and butter and cheese made, and yet fell far
short of the estimate above given. A por-
trait of the most famous Jersey COW has been
going the rounds of the agricultural papers,
and statement of the amount Of milk aud
butter given and made by her, and the amount
does not exceed that of many native COWS,
and certainly, no one but a Jersey iaucier -
would buy her for her shape and " latter end.
In their place there is no superior to the Jer-
scy cows, and every farmer can afford to have
one or two in his herd, as they perpetuate
their butter qualities, and its golden hue and
flavor will do more for the rest Of the churn-
ing than any vegetable or chemical compounds,
but yet they are not the COWS for farmers
mainly to rely on. The Devon is not gener-
ally popular, owing to its comparatively light
milking qualities The llostein and Guern-
soy are not sufficiently known to have their
merits fully appreciated, and those introduced
into the country have not met with eminent
appreciation.
\ writer in late issue of the Country
Gentleman, on the Jersey COWS, referring 10
the Short Horns, speaks Of the class raised /
only for beef purposes, Ignoring the fact Of
New England and Newly ork State possessing /
at this time breed Of improved Short-llorns |
inferior to no other class of animals in guam.
tity and quality of milk and with carcass
unequalled for beauty and handling. These |
are not ponderous, long-egged animals, which |
so many have in their eye, but short-lcggod,
round-bodied, capacious-uddered, easy keeping
beasts, and if they were numerous enough to
be purchased at reasonable prices, every far |
mer who had one to breed from would be on
the road to fortune; but, unfortunately, the |
breeders are rare who can raise such animals, |
and the best we can do is to purchase the
males and breed them to our common cows
aud as is generally the result, the progeny
will be superior animal, showing that the
male stamps the characteristic Of the offspring
and if we breed this progeny to male of
high breeding, and so continue, the improve
ment will last, as it is only repetition of
well directed efforts that raises the quality OF
the herd, and not single crosses, as many
farmers not acquainted with the true princ-
pies seem to think.
Now, without disparagng any other breed,
without disturbing the comely Ayrshire in
her efforts to fill the cans in which the tactical
fluid is conveyed to our cities and towns, or
the Jersey in her successful endeayors to fur
nish the rich mems tables with piles Of golden
hued butter, without robbing the Devon of
her fame in producing the best of working
oxen, without interfering with the march OF
the Holstein and other new importations in
their successful paths, we cannot overlook the
fact, that for general use on our farms, espe.
cially on inland farms, we need an animal OF
good size, yielding fair quantity and quality
Of milk, that we may have our complement Of
butter and cheese, and at the same time fee
that when not suitable for the dairy, she car
be easily fattened and turned off to the butcher
with profit For such uses can we find any
breed superior to the improved milking Short
Horns of England, and eau we improv,
our stock better than by using the males o
this breed on our native or grade cows
What do other folks say?