The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-12-07
Agricultural department.
;oNpvcTEp BY ALBERT CHAPMAN,
The Jersey Cow.

brother Thorp. like to have man
speak out what he believes, If we do
differ in our opinions. Perhaps the
truth lies midway between us, and by
comparing notes we may arrive al the
truth. as 1t Is truth we are after. In
the old notice to correspondents for the
FARMER they were requested to write
what they knew, preferring ten lines
of what we knew to one column
guessed at, which WAS ell very well,
but we are liable to be deceived some
times and think We know Il thug for
certain, when the fact l., we have been
looking from only our own standpoint,
instead of from all points; hence, l
have something to say in reply to the
article spoken OF, from my standpoint
about Jersey stock. I became con-
WINGED several years ago that the com
Ing COW for Vermont must be jersey
OF grade jersey. l consider our ma
tives O breed, and not mean breed eli
ther, If bred with the same judgment
that our blooded stock men use in
their breeding. Now, l am not OPP
posed to blooded stock Of any kind, far
from III tho only objection have to
them is, they cost 80 much | cannot
buy them. A few years ago, however,
I bought pair of Jerseys, being con-
vincod it was the breed wanted, for
they had been bred long time to de-
velop their butter producing qualities,
and for butter l keep cows. to convert
my fodder from the raw. unnerchant-
able material into ready selling, cash
q ticle. Therefore the cow that will
convert the most fodder into butter
must he the COW to keep, I think.
What farmer would employ thresh-
ing machine to do his threshing that
would save but one-half OF the grain
from the straw, II the machine was a
model of beauty and perfection. None
but fool would employ such a ma
chine, all would say. But claim that
there is much of that same principle
held to-day In regard to COWS, and
friend Thorp, opine, has a little of
the same, If he is not cattle dealer or
drover, as find that class cannot call
the Jerseys by as hard names as they
would like to, although by many dro-
yer is never supposed to be wanting in
spithets.
In regard to Jersey cattle being ten
der, have seen nothing yet to indi-
cate it, but the idea because they are
small they will reduce the supply OF
meat, etc, laying the reduction at one
half, and that the cost Of producing
one hundred pounds of beef is much
more than from any other breed, is 6
point wish to notice.
In reply to the first objection,
claim that we can keep, and keep well
more pounds of Jersey stock OH the
same feed than we can of almost any
other breed producing the same
amount of butter or beef, for the very
fact of their being bred to eliminate the
greatest possible amount Of nourish
- -----, -
them for at-produciug when not Civ
Ing milk.
The first of last March, from thirty
head of yearlngs coming two years ole
in the spring, I drew six steers tina
were in the Lest condition, they al
having been kept NJ stacks. and shell
tered on the leeWuid side OF the same
Three of those drawn were halt-bloo,
Jerseys, being all there were. ! thei
put them in the stable and rubbed
little meal on their noses" and selt
them before grass grew for forty dol
lars per head. The half-bloods wer
from small native cows crossed with
full Jersey bull. Another half
blood let go when calf, for breed
Ing purposes. 1t was killed last July
being three years old the April prece
ding; the meat and hide of which
without the tallow, weighed between
nine and ten cwt. Not bad showing
for beef production. Last fall kille,
was barren, and she was the fattes
heifer I ever saw killed, in fact tn
meat was so fat it was hardly eatabl
after being corned. The lack In sig
was more than made up in number
kept. do not anticipate o beef fam
Inc right away.
Que other point / wish To motto
briefly, and that Is, carrying Tor tel
years or more worry poor milking, bu
big, handsome COW for the sake of hav
Ing u big piece Of old cow beef to sell
which always goes begging In an.
market, when we wish TO turn her of
am aware that that idea Is very prev
alent. have In mind Just such a dal
ry; some OF the cows we'll fatted vii
dress eight or nine cwt., and all tn
butter they make over one hundre
pounds per season is to brag about.
Now let us figure little, as figure
won't lie." We will suppose ma
keeps twenty-five cows like those la.
described, ne will have In the fal
twenty-five cwt. of butter which q
thirty cents per pound, Il will give 10,
figures on butter) would amount t
$3.50; twenty-five calves, at high fip
ures, $40 per head, added to butte
would make just 81 900. Another ma
keeping lesser cows in size, selecte
for their butter qualities, keeps thirt
cows on the same feed, making is
pounds butter per COW, amounting {
81 $50, to which add the value of thirt
calves at five dollars per head, wher
in fact they are nearly as good as tn
other lot, not dollars difference, ad
ded 10 the butter, makes total of 81
800 from the same keeping. A differ
snce of $500 per year for ten years. cal
ing that the average time of milking
COW, amounts to 5000 divided b
twenty-five, the number OF cows III
frst man keeps, equals $500 what
has cost extra for keeping the big stoc
for ha aotr - L., II