The Portland daily press., 1869-03-01

lFrom the Weekly Spectator.l
The great and increasing interest evinced
in this community and in other parts of the
United States in the breeding and rearing OF
Jersey stock has led to several importations
of small herds within the past two years.
The price for decent looking, pure bred cow
having trebled, with, in fact, few to be had at
any sum, application was made to the Secre-
tary Of the Treasury, who, by special permits,
has allowed the importation of Jersey,
Guernsey or Alderney stock, when made to
this country directly from the islands. Under
such a permit Mr.. Charles L. Sharpless, of
Philadelphia, last year imported small herd
of Jerseys.
Mr.. Thomas Motley also imported very
fine herd for himself and friends and for the
Massachusetts, Society for the Promotion of
Agriculture. A portion of this herd now be-
longs to the Farm School corporation, and is
domesticated on Thompson's Island. Mr.. Al
vim Adams imported choice herd; Mr. Geo.
Frost imported small herd, as also did Mr..
Henry NJ. Wellington, who visited the island
to make selections for himself and Mr.. Frost.
Mr.. Motley and Mr.. Sharpless made their Sc
lections in person, and Mr.. Motley has lust
sailed for the island to purchase another herd
for his own farm. Mr.. Wellington has Just
made second importation of fifty, the last
ten of the herd arriving at the farm of Cor
nelius Wellington, in East Lexington, on
Thursday of last week. They were selected
by Mr.. Wellington in person from the differ
ent herds on the island, without the usual
intervention of the island cattle-broker and
he has already sold half of them. .-
1t may be interesting to some of the owners
of gentle Jerseys to know something about
the little island from which they are import
ed and derive their name. The four islands
OF Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark, are
known in England as "tbe channel islands, .
and, although belonging to the British I'D,
pire, lie adjacent to the coast of France anu
enjoy mild climate. Jersey, the largest, IS
but twelve miles long, by five to six broad,
containing about 10000 acres; being about
twice the size of the town oil Newton. In 1841
it had population of47 ,566; in 1851, its pop
lation was 81 ,155; it is now about 6O,O0O.-
And this dense population is sustained main
ly by agriculture, for although living on an
island it does not appear that the inhabitants
resort much to fishing, except for oysters. In
the latter business 5000 persons are employ
ed. Their exports are cows, heifers and bulls
OF their famous stock, butter, apples, cider,
grapes, potatoes and oysters. Their farms
are highly cultivated and average butI5 acres
in size. On the 25th of June, 1868, il was
found the island contained GAPS cows, heifers
and calves of all ages. The land On the north
shore rises 300 feet sheer above tidewater and
slopes toward the south to the waters edge
Upon the shores in the different coves an
abundance OF seaweed called urdic
in the French pdtois of the islands
Is collected, and sol highly is
this priced that its collection is fixed by lo-
cal statute both as to time and manner. "No
seaweed-no corn yard" is one of their pro-
verbs. Considering their distance from mar
ket the wonderful results Of this island hus-
bandry are probably without parallel in the
number OF persons supported to the acre.
Guernsey has an extent of 1880 acres and
in 1851 lad population Of 29,733 Alderney,
only three miles long and one mile wide, had
at the same date population of 1888. Sark
is about the size OF Alderney, but more mac
cessble; it had in 1851 population of 581.
Statistics show that farm of IL acres in
Jersey sustained 13 cows heifers, 2 horses
and pigs; one of five acres sustained 8
horses, 6 cows, A heifers and pigs. For a
long time the stubborn islanders resisted the
making of new roads; it is related by Quayle
that an old former, on his death bed, directed
that his remains should not be carried over
any part of the new roads. The roads are
now very good. For 35 years Jersey has had
its agricultural society, which has given a
powerful stimulus to improvements; prac-,
tice long prevailed of uniting the teams OF
several farms for the purpose of deep plough
ing to the depth of IA to IS inches by huge
iron plough, called "grande querue," !" owned
in common. With the introduction OF mod
ern implements this custom is largely disused
The English vessels trading with the chan
mel islands usually touch at Alderney last.
and on their arrival in England are reported
as from Alderney, and to the cattle thew
bring was thus given the name of Aldemey.
But although the COW of the Alderney island
is celebrated she is not often exported-the
foreign markets being chiefly supplied by Jer-
sey or Guernsey. Nor are the farmers as
particular in breeding as are the farmers of
jersey; for while those OF the latter are by
law pure bred, those of the former island are
crossed with the Guernsey breed, which are
larger, and in the opinion of most amateurs
not SC handsome as are those of the Island
OF Jersey. The local legislature OF this is
land, according to Dally,* in 1889 passed an
ordinance prohibiting the importation lnto
Jersey, of COW, heifer, or bull, under tne Psn,
atty of 200 lives, with forfeitures; ana a hne
upon sailors who know but do not INFORM OF
the attempt. The offending animal, 100,
doomed to be slaughtered for the beneht of
the moor. Prizes are annually awarded for
the hest cows, heifers and bulls. The ami
,nals mass the inspection of experienced
Judges. guided by carefully adjusted scale of