The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-09-05

of grass in summer, instead of roaming
about like many other cattle; while in
winter they patiently eat what is set be-
fore them, asking no questions, and eat
it clean, too. Another and very import
ant point is their early maturity. Near
ly every Jersey breeder now arrangcs to
have his heifer calve from the time she
is twenty-five to twenty. four months
old, if possible, while many have them
come in much earlier. Mr.. Gardner,
to whom | have referred, has a heifer
that had her first calf when she was
fourteen months old, and her second
before she was two years of age. This
COW was on exhibition at the last State
fair at Minneapolis. She is, of course,
q rare instance, yet illustrates the ten
dency to early breeding. On the other
hand, our common cows are scarcely of
any value before three years of age,
while the Jersey at two often will make
her ten pounds of butter a week. l
might speak of many more, but will not
make this paper SO long rs to weary
your patience. trust l have convinced
you that the "little jersey" as
she is commonly called, has
considerable to her after all, and
that the introduction of this blood into
any herd of common cows will add at
once to the butter product. Not all of
you can have at once a herd of thor
Oughbreds, but you can, for a moderate
amount, secure a blooded bull and
grade up your common stock. 1t will
not only result in increasing your yield
of milk and butter, but it will add at
once five cents per pound to the price
of the latter, and this will be clear gain.
All things considered, says Geroge
Waring, there is no COW equal to good
Jersey as family cow. She is small,
dOcile, easily handled; is hardy, hearty
and easily kept, while the long habit of
the race has made her more patient of
confinement than any other breed. She
has been equally successful in the dairy
in all sections of the country, and holds
her own in Maine and California, in
Wisconsin and Mississippi. As between
the Jersey and Guernsey COW there is
but little difference in their dairy capac-
tiles, with great advantage to the
former in point of beauty. The
Guernsey is larger animal, coarser in
the head and heavier in the bone. The
horns are larger and thicker at the base
and usually not crumpled, while the
body lacks in form the symmetry
of the Jersey. The skin
is of splendid rich yellow
hue, which extends also to the udder
and teats. The head is larger, the muz-
zle broader, and the eye not so promi-
nent as the Jersey. The color is usually
fawn, running through the various
shades to deep red, an amber brown
and peculiar yellow brindle, which last
is the favorite color on the Island. The
Guernsey farmers appear to have made
no effort to improve their forms, but
have rather given their attention solely
to her production at the pail; while the
Jersey farmers have bred for both milk
and beauty, to their own very great ad-
vantage in pecuniary point of view, az
well as to the more general satisfaction
of purchasers.
"There is also an impression Abroad"
says also Major Brown, of Tennessee, a
famous breeder, {" that they are small
mixers. Compared with the immense
Holsteins or ShOrt-Horns, and without
allowance for size, this is undoubtedly
true. But in proportion to their size
they are not small mixers, and in steady,
even, persistent flow of milk from calv-
ing to calving they are hardly equaled
so that many big COW that when
fresh nearly doubles the best daily yield
of her little yellow-backed neighbor,
will come out behind when the yearly
aggregates are to be recorded"