The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-01-24

We take from the last issue Of the Culti-
rator and Country Gentleman the two
following articles as appropos to this sub
iect, and in proof of our assertions:
II have in my herd of Jerseys
family of cows and heifers, numbering
seven head, each Of which, although be-
gotten by different sire, has perfect
milk-mirror similar to that possessed by
the others, both in its form and in its
color. No change of sire, though seven
times made, has altered this hereditary
mark of beauty, and this indication of
good dairy qualities.
This fact seems to be worth noticing
for varied reasons. One of these is, that
it strikingly corroborates the theory of
modern breeders, that the dam contri-
butes more to the dairy qualities Of the
female offspring than does the sire-that
is to say, if Guenon's doctrine THAT the
milk-mirror or escutcheon is an exponent
of the capabilities of the dairy cow be
admitted, as it now generclly is by the
most intelligent breeders, with more or less
qualification. In the case of this family
of cows, the perfect escutcheon was evil
IDENTIFY inherited from the females and not
from the males-the escutcheons of the
latter not having been perfect.
This fact also shows with what tenaci-
ty thoroughbred animals hold on to their
valuable characteristics. The same bea1-
tiful mirror is, in this case, transmitted
from mother to daughter and to grand
daughter. No change of sire suffices to
breed this mark of distinction out of the
family, whereas, in breeds of mixed blood
good points appear and disappear so ir-
regularly in offspring as to mark the in
heritance of qualities seem accidental,
and the breeders aim at improvement al
together uncertain in result but when a
point has been gained in the breeding of
long established race of cattle, we can
generally rely upon their holding on to
it, provided the breeders art wisely Sec
onds the intent of.nature. This tendency
of nature exists, perhaps, both in man
himself and in all the lower animals do
mesticated by him.
And whatever else may be said of the
Jerseys, it must be acknowledged, first,
that they possess certain advantages as
producers of cream and butter, and Sec
ondly, that, they are still susceptible of
very great improvement. This fact, that
the Jersey dairy COW has not yet been
fully developed-that much remains to
be done before she can be brought to that
high state of perfection to which the
Short Horn has already attained--lends
to Jersey breeding no small degree Of in
terest There is room for interesting ex-
periments. Deficiency in dairy capabili-
ty, in size, in color, is TO be corrected by
skill in breeding. The good points now
occasionally found combined, but gener-
ally scattered in individuals, are to be
united in some herd or family, and so
thoroughly bred into that they can be
surely propagated in its offspring. This
will require time, as well as sagacious and
careful management but there can be no
reasonable doubt that there is great fu-
ture in this country before the Jerseys,
with honors and emoluments for their
successful improver.
1t is to be hoped that our breeders will
not blindly follow the English collectors
Of herds, who have generally sacrificed
structure to color. A nobleman in Eng
land, adopting the within of having all his
of one color, and casting out all others
without regard to merit, cannot be con.
sidered breeder in the true sense of the
word. He aims only to produce GER
tain effect ON his lawns and in his parks
NOT to obtain the best dairy animals
What we need at the outset, is to subor.
dinate everything to the highest acquisi.
ton of the highest capacity for yielding
butter. Whether noses be buff or dark
whether switches be black or white
whether the prevailing color be solid OF
variegated, matters little in comparison
to what goes into the cream-pot and the
butter-pai. We must aim at perfect
structure for dairy purpose, and when we
have got that we can afford to breed fol
colors. Color, no doubt, is of special
value in breed of cattle, but tastes will
always differ about it; and while some
will prefer to have cows all of one color
others will so admire the sight of deer
orange skin that they will be glad to have
white enough on their animals to show it
j. NJ. NJ, Great harrington, Mass.
JERsEis-soLID COLOR AND BLACK POINTS
Two or three years ago the color mos
sought after in Jersey cattle was SPUR
rel or French gray and nothing will d.
, but "solid color and black points"
have before me the scale OF points adopt
? ed by the Royal Agricultural Society o
the Island Of Jersey-thirty-one in mum
Der for bulls, and thirty -four for cows =
not one point black except the points o
the horns.
For many years | have been laborin,
under the sad delusion that Jersey o
Attorney cattle were priced solely 70
their superior milking and butter-makin
qualities-that aside from those, they ar
I, inferior to all other improved breeds Q
cattle. | perhaps ought to say that thos
. who are able to indulge fancy at the ex
/ pense of utility and profit, have been wi
a ling to keep Attorney cattle without Ie
! gard to their milking qualities, becaus
of their beautiful appearance in the pa
/ ture and on the lawn but even such ha
> not until lately found out that a herd {
cattle looked more pleasing to the eye a
! of one color, like herd of buffalo. 7
= my eye the variety in color is very plea
\ ing indeed. The best Jersey bull | eve
= had or saw was of four colors. (if gray |
considered a color,) and l must be pc
mitted to say that I am old-fashione
enough to prefer still the fawn and viii
s. which so largely prevailed in the impo
y tations of Taintor and Norton.
D. Let the advocates of solid color al
d black points breed from the same co,
re and bnlls for three years l do not ca
ID what color they may start with-and tn,
=, I'LL eaI tkat ,rbat I aa,I -, tho TO-,