Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-04-19
The Little Butter Cow at Home.

The Island of Jersey is small; if it was
square it would be CT miles on each side.
However, this little piece of land suflices
to keep 10000 head ofcattle; that is to say,
in round numbers, supports one animal
for each two acres Of its territory, this in
cludes rocks, barren land and the building
lots necessary to the housing of 10000
inhabitants. And it has been thus for the
last 20 years, at least. Indeed, the census
of 1861 gives 12,037 as the number of cat
tic in the Island of Jersey. What is still
more remarkable, it exports each year
about 1000 head (the average of exporta-
tons, according to the custom house re-
ports, being 20l9, for the last IS yoars)-
nearly one head for each ten acres. Now
the total number of cattle in England |
gives onlyone for each ten acres; it follows |
then that in proportion TO its extent, the
Island of Jersey exports, each year, more
cattle than England contains. In other |
words, if England should export at the
same rate, all her cattle would be gone in |
single year and she would not have left |
single hoof The system which permits
the Island of Jersey to attain this result
deserves to be studied, above all at this
time when the English farmer knows not
what to do, his sheet anchors, the culture
of wheat, leaving him to drift on the rocks.
But another result not less striking than
the keeping of the cattle at Jersey, is the
race of cattle that it has produced At
present it is the custom in England to con-
slider the Jerseys as tho pampered favor
tics of fortune. playthings of the rich,
diamonds to ornament the lawn, givin. a
small quantity of very rich milk, cream
and butter for those who are rich enough
to afford this extravaganza. That thoy
arc small, we admit; beautiful, we con.
cede; but why should they not be small
And why not beautiful Is the shepherd
dog less bold, less useful, or less suited to
its special work because it is not mastiff?
The ability to do the work required is the
thing sought for; the rest is only fashion
and tinscl The work of the Jersey is 10
convert grass and roots into butter, and
not into beef. She is not raised to be
eaten; she has more value as producer
of butter Then why should she be larger ?
And far from being luxury for the rich
man, she Is, more than any other race, the
dependence of the poor, the bes. aid of
small farming. This is very easily and
simply proved Gin Il general way by the
experience of the Island of Jersey. We
have seen that they keep their 10000 head
of cattle on six miles square, there where
tho rent averages 80 per acre; there where
the farms are smaller than anywhere else
there where each farmer works with his
hands, and is face to face with the wolf
that lie needs must keep from the door.
And what do we see? An island eaten up
by cattle. and tho farmers begging On
the contrary, all the country is like a gar.
den, everywhere sown with improvements
and comfortable houses and Of which the
3 aspect shows the we'll being. Ono finds
/ everywhere comfort and plenty, and no.
where poverty, misery OF beggars.
r do not claim that all this is the work
] of tho COWS. but say that these farmers
: who have SO serious n struggle to live, and
! who yet obtain so marvellous success
Z. should know their business, and not kecr
c 10000 head of cattle at loss. If the Jer'
= seys are profitable there, with tho land al
a 80 per aero. will they not give profit i,
i England, and everywhere else where there
G is market for butter But we will g
D farther, we claim that the Jersey COW is
f.. the hsndsomest of all COWS, as well as the
i most profitable.
THEIR MERITS.