The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-07-08

Thsreughbrod and Grade JsEssys 46r
Farmer.
A correspondent of the american Ag-
riculturist, says:
"My experience for many years in
breeding Jersey stock, and crossing
thoroughbreds with other breeds, may
interest some Of your readers, partlcu-
larly the dairymen with whom butter
making is the principal business. MY
first purchase Of Jerseys was made from
the importation and breeding OF the late
John A. TaintOr, of Hartford, Conn.,,
who was, I think, the first to visit the
islands in the British Channel, and to
select in person, and import into this
State, a herd of Jerseys. He was re-
markably fortunate in his selections,
for few if any of the later importations,
down to the present time, have equaled,
or even approached, the quality of his
stock for form, beauty, or the produc-
ton of milk, cream and butter. Solid
colors and black points, squirrel greys,
or silver greys, light fawns or dark
fawns, or other fashionable marks or
colors, had then as little to do with the
real value of Jersey COW, as it has to-
day; or as the dark or light complexion
has to do with an Anglo-Saxon's brains.
A good Jersey COW, thoroughbred, and
we'll bred at that, one that gave say twelve
quarts of milk per day on common food
mot steamed) and made twelve pounds
of butter per week, sold then for about
800. / have bred many thoroughbred
Jerseys, and hundreds Of grades; but
comparatively few of my thoroughbreds
have given more than twelve quarts of
milk per day, and I have the credit of
breeding some of the most celebrated
mixers and butter makers now in this
country; among them the following we'll
known names: Palestine Third, Mag
gle MITCHELL 'Fleetfoot,' Flora,
Buff and many more that I can
name, are all the direct descendants of
Mr.. John A. Taintor's stock, some of
them having given as high as twenty
two quarts of milk, and made more than
two pounds of butter per day, measured
and weighed. have crossed the Jersey
bull with nearly all the known breeds of
COWS, Aryshires, Natives, Short-horns,
Dutch, the sacred COW, and the De-
vons, and it is an excellent cross with
any and all breeds for the dairy. I
have never yet found a half-blood Jer-
sey cow that did not yield richer quail
ity of milk than her dam. One peculi-
arity of the cross is this: wherever the
Jersey bull serves, he transmits the rich
quality of the milk to the grade he gets.
"The thoroughbred Jersey cows, as
rule, have small teats and udders, small
bodies, and tender, delicate constitu-
I'm vi Vy a
easily kept as Ayrshires or natives, but
the grades have good-sized teats, and
capacious udders; are hardy, easily
kept, and the quantity of the milk is in.
creased. The grade is, in fact, worth
more money to the farmer than the pure
Jersey, for actual production, and all
purposes except breeding thorough
breds. The great value of Jersey stock
to the country, is, for dairymen, especi-
ally butter makers, who, by crossing
thoroughbred bulls upon their common
COWS of all the mixed bloods, can select
the heifer calves from their best milk
ers. and raise them to take the place Of
the present COWS, and then again cross
the pure bull with the half-bloods. When
these herds are three-quarter Jersey,
their yield of butter will doubtless be
one-third more in quantity, of q much
better quality, in color, firmness and
flavor, and worth fifty per cent. more
than ct present. Who can estimate in
dollars and cents what may be gained in
the next few years, by the farmers fol-
lowing this course, with a slight outlay
Of money in thoroughbred Jersey
bulls?"