The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-10-26
agricultural department.
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN,
Jersey Cattle at Home.

much attention at this time, everything
relating to them Is read with Interest.
aud we publish the following letter
from the Country Gentleman
st. Heller, Jersey, September, 1875.
A man may have good knowledge
of Jersey cattle In America, and even
lie breeder of them himself, aud pos.
silly familiar with many ofour best
herds, nevertheless lie needs to see Jcr-
sey cows In their native pastures and
byres to know them fairly. The tou.
rlst in ], raey land the Island Is full of
pleasure seekers from England aud
France, with now and then OH Ameri-
CAM really sees very little of the cows.
They he p occasionally to complete the
picturesque effect Of a beautiful view
where the way winds through valley
or across bit of open country. They
are met In the roads and hy-ways going
to pasture or being led to water. But
the ,eculiar character of Jersey roads
earth. walled upon each side to n height
of two to Fix feet, close hedge Of thorn
or furZe growing upon the top, etfectu
ally preclules much observation as to
what is III il,, fields. These beautiful
lanes and narrow roads are among the
chief attractions of this charming Is
land, The earth walls see,;i to be kept
IL -ha! e by the ivy which nvers breads
al, a fun 10
dicular (ofltn more SOY and through
the masses of ivy sprout ferns of unu-
sual foims and IN great abundance.
Up through the hedges, or close to
them trees of various kinds have been
suffered to grow. lhese often inter
lock their boughs over the roads, so
that much of the distance one drives
through leafy arches, green and COO!
aud shady. After while, on SOME
drives it becomes monotonous, and the
excursionist IN glad of sunshine and
open fields, to say nothing of sight
of the tethered kline.
lettering Is universal, though
have found several herds or portions of
herds turned loose into well-fenced
fields or wet meadows. Even among
those that were at liberty, ! have hard
~ found one animal that l could not
approach and handle, 50 gentle are
they from having been kindly treated
and petted little. Gentleness in my
view decidedly enhances the value of
COW for all purposes, and we certain
ly do not sufficiently cultivate It,.
Like master, like man." is true
enough, but il Is no less fact that a
nervous. restless, driving farmer will
have wild and restless cattle ii he does
not specially guard against it. a quiz
ct, ruminative cow certainly gives
more milk and makes more beef, in
piopoi ton to the food consumed, than
another, while she Is constantly less Ii
able to injure either herself or others.
1he cattle are even iether.d IN the
oichai DIS. and under the trees, whose
burden OF fruit brings the limbs within
\ few feet of the ground. This is ac-
cUmplished 10y what at first sight app
peared rather cruel arrangement.
r,-;- - =. ,-'..- s''.i, ..'~---i-- i-'
pieces and cords attaching ii TO the
foreegs, so that COW cannot lift her
head high except when she is down.
The same thing made smaller is used
for calf halter, and 10y it the calves
are easily controlled when led, for they
room learn that it hurts to pull. as the
cheek pieces are drawn hard against
the cheek bones.
j find the Jersey cows of all colors
and OF every variety of form. iuterme-
ale between the beast described by
Youatt and represented in the we'll
known wood cut in his book OH cattle,
and the beautifully formed. deer-like
creature with which we are now "a days
more familiar. There has no doubt
been n great and eneral improvement
of the stock Of the Island, and the bet
ter class of farmers know we'll what
points OF symmetry and beauty they
may safely cultivate. Hence 1t is only
among the poorer class that Youatt' IS
stSi. II. sti.i found.
We saw one soluiely LACK COW
much like that formerly owned by
tlat most discriminating breeder OF
Channel Island cattle, the late James
p. swain Of Brohxville. Then too, in
some, white covered more than three
fourths Of the animal. Between these
extremes there is every graduation. and
almost every shade of color except the
Devon-red to this we have not seen
even remote approximation. De-
scriptions of Jersey cattle in their herd
book often specify that color as red.
By this a sort of orange-fawn or"pump-
kin-color' is intended. Here on the
Island it Is well understood, and there
Is no reason why We should copy their
descriptions. So, If they choose to call
orange-fawn, rcd, they certainly have
that right.
The Herd Book. This was started in
1866 10y an independent association. but
uuder the encouragement of the Agri
cultural Society, In fact the officers OF
the society were chief movers in il. Ii
met with opposition, of course. lgno-
rant farmers cannot see any see any adj
vantage in it; they say. I'VE have but
one breed of cattle on the Island why
should we take all this pains to prove
purity IF blood ?" They overlook en-
rely the f ct that while purity is un
questioned, goodness of blood, which is
intrlnsically OF much greater import