The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1875-08-07

lntirely innocent aim but the practical
'esalt is that, higher prices being paid for
4nimals Of the desired color than for others,
farmers themselves are gsitiug 10 attach
great value to calves Of the fayoriie hue.
Consequently, no bull calf had recently a
ghost Of chance for his life, no matter If
bis dam we're the best dairy cow that
Jersey ever saw, if he had fcck Of white
anywhere about him; while the calf Of a
COW quite worthless for practical purposes
was sure to escape the merited knife, If
only he were Of solid color aud had "blaek
points" Upon the effect Of few genera
tons Of such breeding as this, ii Is, Of
course, unnecessary to deseant So long
as the Jersey COW retains her present
value for the dairy, she is sure Of a good
market. When her only merit shall be-
come that Of gray coats and black switches,
she viii come in competition with the
similarly colored animals Of the whole
south of Europe. Wiser eOunselsare now
prevailing, and the officers Of the Royal
Agricultural Society of Jersey have de-
nounced the practice as suicidal
Thus far this fancy has only begun to
prevail. While one sees in the Saturday
market at St. Helier's large preponder-
ance Of the faney-eolored animals offered
for sale, and wh;.e these constitute the
bulk of the numerous cargoes sent to
Southampton, the older cows Of the island
maintain their old standard Of excellence
and varied beauty. Very many Of them
are deficient in the matter Of form, and
are inclined TO sway backs or sloping
rumps; but more uniform excellence fol
the dairy, combined with almost universe
beauty, can nowhere else be found than in
the fields and gnarled orchards, into which
every opening in the beautiful fence-row'
Of Jersey gives a glimpse.
The useful characteristics of the jersey
COW are the result Of continued breeding
for useful result, but her other ehaae
teristics of gentleness and dOcility are du,
ITO the fact of long generations of kline
personal care and of the constant presencI
Of manor rather Of woman--for in Jer
sey the women take almost cxclusiv,
charge of the cattle. From their earlics
calf hood they are never at liberty, bu
are always tethered 10 iron pins driver
into the ground, being moved several time
day to fresh grass.
Owing to the mildness Of the elimat,
they are kept out during a much large
portion Of the year than would be possible
with US, and in some seasons they are bui
little housed except at night, Their gras.
food is supplemented with parsnips ant
other roots, which are raised very largely
The custom of lettering compels them t.
eat more closely than they would do IL
open pasture, and enables much larger
number to be kept on limited area
Doubtless their product is somewhat less
than it would be if they had the free
range Of large, good pastures, selecting
only the choicest bits Of grass.
Bearing in mind the fact that Jersey is
only about as large as Staten Island. and
that it has over two thousand landowners,
one may well be surprised to learn that
the census of1S72 returned 10, 94l horned
cattle (all Of the one breed) as being kept
there. Not far from two thousand of the
animals are annually exported. Most Of
these are young heifers, and they return
to the farmers an average Of 500 each.
The highest price Of which | have know
ledge was 100 guineas (about 5000, paid
by an American.
The diaries of jersey are rather curious
and instructive. They are usually small,
and their product is generally much infe-
rior to that of american diaries where the
same cows are kept One Jersey practice
might, however, with advantage be adopt
ed here-that is, the manner of milking.
They milk, not into pail, but into a mar
rownecked, jug-shaped can, the mouth of
which is closed with muslin, tied on so
loosely that it says down some inches into
the opening. In the bottom Of this is
laid clean sea-shell, to receive the stream
Of milk aud prevent its wearing the CLOTH
The milk flows over the edge of the shell,
and, as II passes through the cloth, Is per-
fectly strained of any impurity that may
fall from the cows uddcr When the
milking is done in the stable this cloth has
the additional effect of excluding foul
4