The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-01-06
Agricultural Department.
M ALBERT CHAPMAN
Value Of Jcrscys.


II Il In the dairy. In producing rich
milk and excellent butter of high color,
that the Jersey L. without rival. Some
of the highest individual yields of butter
have been made by cows of this breed.
In the Country Gentleman for 1875.
mage 1876, there is the statement of Mr..
Suiliff Of Bristol. Ct. of the produce In
one year OF of the Jersey COW Pansy
1919, and it appears that in ono year,
from Oct. l, 1871. to Sept. 80, 1872, this
COW made ga lbs. of butter. There
have been other individual yields re-
corded some of them exceeding 800
pounds. But ii Is In herds that their
excellence is most apparent: good
Yield from Il herd being of more practi-
cal importance than remarkable yield
from single animal. On page 2G9 OF
the Country Gentleman for 1874 appears
the report of the yield of Mr.. Tilden's
herd for 1873. After making various
allowances for milk used in the family
and for raising calves. and for number
of heifcrs not equal to cows, he stated
that his hoid averaged an estimated
yield of $50 pounds per COW during the
wear. Il dn no! consider the practice Of
counting two heiters equal to QUO COW
rs quito The proper thing am well
aware that ii is usually done merely to
make up good record. 1t Is also 4
fact that hcijers will not do as well the
second year az they hive done The first
If there II any time wham a heilfr should
not be counted as cow, 1t j. during The
second year, IN the American Xprl-
culturist for October. 1872. there l. a re-.
port ut Col. Warnings herd for one
week ending Aug. 10. OF thirty ami.
mails, six hal aborted Al from A to :
mouths; eleven were 9-year old heiters,
ak were 3 years old, and one was nearly
dry. OF course this herd was not Qua
from which To expect an extraordinary
yield: yet they made during the week
1873 lbs. OF butter. In the same journal
for January, 1873. there is the report OF
the yield of the herd owned BY Mr.. J.
VI. Mackie at Great harrington. Mass.
During the week ending October IS
(1672) his herd Of thirteen cows and
heifers made 80 l-2 pounds of butter.
In tho Country Gentleman for 1879,
page 50, there is the report bv Mr.. I'll.
den of the yield of his herd for 1874.
The herd during the year averaged 257
days In milk, and the thirteen cows.
some of them heifers, and one of them
mated yield Of 244 pounds of butter to
each cow. 1t is true that as farmers and
breeders usually keep their diaries. these
reports merely approximate to the truth.
The farmer must supply his family with
cream, fresh milk and butter: in addi-
ton TO this, the breeder requires large
quantities of milk for his calves. and
both breeders and dairylnen have old
cows, young cows and farrow cows In
their herds, and must count them with
the rest.
Jerseys give rich milk, as COMPARED
with the milk OF other breeds. and less
OF Ii l. required TO make pound of but
ter. Mr.. Tihen, In the report above
referred to, says: 1--WE skinned so "a
pounds Of milk, obtaining u pounds of
cream, from which was made 5 10 lbs.
OF butter, using l1.6j pounds Cor 6.S3
qnarts) for a pound ofbutter." In the
report quoted from the American Agri-
culturist for October, 1872, it IL stated
that the weight of milk required to make
" pound Of butter was 1918 pounds.
Ii does not appear IN any of these re-
ports Of yields which have ipstanced,
that ANY attempt was made to force an
extraordinary yield. Although what is
termed forcing" is highly Injurious.
yet those who wish to make the most
possible profit from their stock will find
system of sOiling useful. The season
Of soiiing may be extended through a
large portion OF the summer by begin
ming with rye and following with green
oats, grass, clover and sowed corn. On
the Island of Jersey, where the farms
are small, and it Is desirable that every
thing should he utilized, 1t is common
practice to tether cattle, and think that
this, followed up through many genera
lions, has been instrumental In giving
these cows their gentle nature. think
that Jerscys, as their merits become
more widely known, are likely to dis
place other varieties of cattle in butter
making. There Is growing demand
Tor butter which scrub or native cattle
cannot supply; and the tact that Jersey
butter ofgood quality commands high
er price than other butter, will induce
Intelligent dairymen to introduce Jersey
blood into their herds, If not to under
take the breeding of pure Jerseys. But
ter-eaters are learning to discriminate
In the quality of the article they con-
sumo: and the fact that a herd of Jer-
seys Will produce on an average from
ftty to one hundred per cent more than
tho same number of native cattle. is a
great inducement TO breeding them. II
hope in time TO see those sections i'm
which the making of butter is an i'm
portant branch Of dairy hushandry. be-
come almost exclusively devoted 10 ,Jer-
seys. Even the introduction of high
class OF grades, say three-fourths or sew
rI-eiehths, il such introduction was gen.
cral. would have an important effect on
the bntter Product Of the country.
The mflb mirror Is believed to he a |
pretty certain Indication of the milking
qualities of the COWS. and also mn indi.
cation in bulls that they have the power
of perpciuating this quality in their OF. |
spring. The scale Of points adopted by
the A. j. {. C., April 2lsi, 1876, makes
TINS one OF the most prominent points. |
The scale ofpDints Us adopted By the |
loyal Jersey Agricultural and IIorticul- |
rural Societies, makes no mention of the |
escuscheon. This feature is not reoIjr-
ed by the judges at their fairs. or by En- |
2iish breeders who purchase stock on |
the Island. In the Country Gentleman
for Feb. II, 1874, Chas. L. Sharnless
says: "Among all the stock of Jersey |
bulls in England, did not find one with |
any mirror whatever, and this because
that feature is not required by the Judges
al the shows. The ambition
among exhibitors in England. is 10 |
secure an animal that Is sold dark color.
The mirror Is overlooked, and the Quail !
tiles OF the dam not regarded; but the |
animal must have no white, any ofwhich |
color being on bull calf consiens him |
the butcher" May we not In the Jerseys
Of England see the result of chimeric. |
ally. experimenting with this valuable
stockf If We want animals large and
feshy, and symmetrical In form, we can
be far better suited in the Short Horn. |
we can do far better elsewhere than