The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-11-09
agricultural department.
BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.
The Island of Guernsey.

1t is occasionally pleasant to encoun-
ter prejudices which have their origin
In love for home and country; and
as the traveller goes from one to anoth-
er of the Channel Islands he finds ev-
erything, in the estimation of every is
lander, best upon his own native rock,
1 must mention one exception to this
natural and even laudable prejudice.
The Jerseymen did, almost uniformly,
admit that the color of Guernsey butter
was richer than their own. So of course
/ went to Guernsey expecting to see
yellow butter, and certainly was not
disappointed. My visit was one SIM
ply for pleasure and Information
hence was not protracted; but famil-
iarity with the customs of the people
and modes of agriculture gained by
some weeks stay in the sister island of
Jersey, facilitated greatly the gather
ing of information.
Guernsey lies twenty miles north
west of Jersey-thirty by the course
the SteuuleT TAKES. Inc UP Cdh barely
be made only by day and in clear
weather, for the rocks which show
themselves above water are but indica-
tions of numerous lodges which extend
around each of the islands for miles in
every direction, not far beneath the
surface. Jersey possesses numerous
broad bays, with beautiful, hard sandy
beaches, which at low water are bare
long way from shore. Guernsey, on
the contrary, has few beaches, and
most of these are covered with stones
and pebbles. 1t lies far out breasting
the tides of the channel and the storms
of the Atlantic, and its granite lodges
have been washed out into curious ba-
sins, and caves have been worn into
the hills by the gradual action of wa
ter The general slope of the land is
northward, the hills being high and
abrupt toward the south, and the coun-
try falling off gradually towards the
northern coast, which is quite low.
Jersey has a slope in the opposite di-
rection, hence its people claim a warm
er prevailing temperature. 1t would
require accurate meteorological expert
ments and tests as to the warmth of
the soil at different seasons to determ-
inc this. The climate is so mild that
camellias, fuchsias and geraniums usu-
ally bear the winter perfectly, and yet
an American lady, who had been in
Guernsey during the month.of August.
told me that she had hardly been COM
fortably warm except when walking
in the sunshine or sitting in front of
her CRATE, in which good fire was
burning. 1 must say 1 was warm
enough, and most people regard the
climate as perfect. st. Peters Port is
large town, upon the spurs of steep
hill, the houses rising from the quays
one above another, the streets very
narrow, generally nearly horizontal,
but some ascending the hill by steep
grades-footways rising by steps, be-
ing common means of intercommuni-
cation. After reaching the summit
level, one finds a beautiful undulating
country, through which excellent
broad highways run in several direc-
tions through the island, while the
farms between are connected, and in
fact subdivided by narrow ways, much
like those of Jersey, but not 80 shaded
and rarely so picturesque, The farms
are generally larger than those of Jer-
sey, but the system Of agriculture is
quite similar.
Guernsey parsnips are famous with
us, and was little disappointed in
not finding them to figure as a more
important crop. They are highly es-
teemed, however-two kinds, white
and yellow, being grown. They are
giving way a little to the improved
sorts of mangels and sugar beets, and
to carrots, which give higher color to
the butter.
The practice of sowing these various
crops broadcast strikes one as strange
yet where there are very few weeds,
and the whole culture is by hand, it
cannot make so much difference as
with us. The custom is TO thin the
plants out thoroughly with the hoe,
and I saw great many fields in
which mangels were growing among
the parsniPs, OF aurong carrots, and
sometimes all three grew harmonious
ly together.
THE GUERNSEY CATTLE.
The size of Guernsey cows has been
greatly increased, so far as | can judge,
within few years, those of poor farm
ers. or belonging to poor people, being
much smaller than those of the better
class. The Guernsey cows with which
| have been familiar in our own coun
try. many of them imported ones, are
not nearly so large as these. / refer to
those here considered and really the
best breed. Coming from Jersey
where indeed many of the cows are by
no means small, these Guernseys
looked like Short-Horns in stature.
The reason is, obviously, because they
are usually not allowed to breed before
they are three years old or over, and
are well fed at least, and often rather
forced in their growth from the first,
am inclined to think that these large
cows give more milk than the Jerseys
they are usually MIXED three times a
day, and more butter is probably made
per head. Were the test to be made to
learn which cows would produce the
largest amount Of butter from given
amount of feed, am inclined to think
the Jerseys would win. My only rea-
son for thinking so is that the Guern-
seys appear to take on flesh and fat
more naturally than the others. AS
said. / have seen a good many Guern.