The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-04-14
Ghe 5arnler,
THE JERSEYS AT HOME.
Their Character and the Treatment they
Receive.

i
in the December number of lie Journal
UAgrtculture Mustre, a monthly news
paper published in French, by the Depart
ment of Agriculture for the Province OF
Quebec, Canada = @is. - - t--.r"
"The Island of Jersey is small; if it was
square it would be 81 miles on each side.
However, this little piece of land sufices
to keep 10000 head of cattle; that IS to,
say, in round numbers, supports one ami
NAL for each two acres of its territory, this
including rocks, roads, barren land, and
the building lots necessary to the housing
of 60 900 inhabitants. And it has been
thus for the last twenty years, at least, IN
deed the census of 1861 gives 12,O37 as
the number of cattle in the Island of Jer-
sew. What is still more remarkable, 1t
exports each year about 1000 head the
average of expectations, according to the
custom house reports, being 2O49, for the
last 8 years. nearly one head for each ten
acres. Now the total number of cattle In
England gives only one for ten acres; 1t
follows then that in proportion to its ex-
tent, the Island of Jersey exports, each
wear, 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 a single hoof. The system which
permits the Island of Jersey to attain this
resalt deserves to be studied, above all at
this time when the English farmer knows
not what to do, his sheet-anchors, the cul-
ture of wheat, leaving him to drift on the
rocks. But another result not less strlk-
ing than the keeping of the cattle, at Jer-
sew, is the race of cattle that it has produc-
ed. At present, it is the custom in Eng
laad to consider the Jerseys as the pampered
favorites of fortune, playthings for the
rich. diamonds to ornament the lawn, CIV
inc small quantity of very rich milk, cream
and butter, for those who are rich enough
to afford this extravaganza. That they
are small, we admit; beautiful, we concede;
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 mastltt ?
The ability to do the work required Is the
thing sought for, the rest is only fashion
and tinsel. The work of the Jersey is to
convert grass and roots into butter and not
into beef. She is not raised to be eaten;
she has more value as machine to produce
butter Then why should she be larger?
And far from being IA luxury for the rich
man, she is, more than any other race, the
dependence of the poor the best aid of
small farming. This it very easily and
simply proved, Gin 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
the rent averages 99 per acre; there where
the farms are smaller than they are any
where else; there where each farmer works
with his hands, and is face to face with the
wolf that he needs must keep from the
door. And what do we see? An island
eaten up by cattle, and the farmers beg
cling? On the contrary, all the island is
ike garden, everywhere sown with i'm
proyements and comfortable houses and of
which the aspect shows the well being.
One finds everywhere comfort and plenty,
and nowhere poverty, misery, or beggars.
do not claim that all this IS the work
of the COWS, but say that these farmers
who have so serious struggle to live, and
who vet obtain so marvellous a success,
should know their business, and not keep
$4,000 head of cattle at loss If the
JERSEYS are profitable there, with the land
at 60 per acre, will they not give profit
in England, and everywhere else where
there is market for the butter? But we
will 90 farther, we claim that the Jersey
cow is the handsomest of all cows, as well
as the most profitable
We will state their merits in as few words
as possible. We claim that the Jersey IS
the most profitable of all cows for butter;
that she will give more butter relatively
to her weight and the feed she eats than
any other race whatever; that good Jer-
sey will give half her weight in butter per
year She rarely weighs more than 800
pounds the average weight being 700
pounds, and COWS giving half Of that in
butter, per year, are found in every good
herd; that the milk is richer than that of
any other race, six pints often giving a
pound of butter, giving less water to milk,
carry, and set; that the butter is of better
color, of better texture, of better flavor,
and of higher price; that she becomes pro-
titable earlier, usually having her first calf
at two and often sooner; that she is gentle
and docile, easily cared for Gin the Island
of Jersey, at least) by the women and chill
dren of the house who lead her to the
field. tie her, take her back to the barn,
milk her, and have the whole care of her,
without help from the men, who are occu-
pied with other work Finally, she is
equally at home in the cold climate of the
Canadian winters, and the tropical heat of
the gulf States.
| have now before me, letters from the
Secretary of the exhibition of Jersey cat
tie at Mobile, where they succeed perfect
", and from Mr. Burnham, (whO has
bought the famous Coomassie) Of Connec-
ticut, who finds that they succeed equally
well in the northern States, and there are
several herds of them in Canada, to which
Mr. Cochrane, celebrated owner of Dur
hams) is going to add another. May we
not rightly defy the world to produce a
breed having more merit
HIGH VS.. Low FARMING.
Referring to the above the Neac England
Farmer says: ...
So long as the New England States raise
larger average crops per acre than are rails
ed in the rich farming lands of the West,
it will hardly do perhaps, to call New Eng
land farming low farming, yet when we
compare what rs done with what might be,
there will be found very wide margin for
improvements both at the East and at the
West. In the description of the agricul-
ture of the Island of Jersey, it will be seen
that in that small Island but little over two
acres is required for maintaining COW,
while here in Massachusetts, twenty-five
acres are required for keeping a single ami
NAL of the COW kind, including oxen, steers,
and calves, and there is but one horse kept
in the State for each ninety acres OF land.
And uith oil orr GREAT cities and large