Smyrna times., 1883-06-20
The Demand for Jerseys.
ORIGIN AND INCREASE OF THE DEMAND
FOR THESE CATTLE.

About this season of the year the |
Jersey cow fourishes, and brings ex-
ceedingly high prices at auction and |
private sales. The importation of these !
animals is yearly increasing, and so is
the interest taken in them. The fact |
that the little island of Jersey produces
the best cows in the world is said
to have been originally due to the fact
that it was such poor little place.
All the peasants ON this relic of the
Anglo-French Empire, kept cows. As
there was about one COW to each peas.
ant, and as he was mainly dependent
on the product of the animal for his
daily food, he took care to see that this
one cow was a good one. 1t was
matter of life OF death with the peasant
and he studied the cows nature and
catered to her wants and humored her
whims, trying in all ways to induce
her to give enormous quantities ofvery
rich milk. Ifthe cow proved obdurate
and gave only moderate amount of
milk, or the quality of her milk did
not come up to the standard of excel
lence, she was quickly made into
roasts and steaks. This application of
the doctrine of the survival of the fit
test brought it about that only the very
best COWS were permitted to reach ma
turity. A few bulls were kept for
breeding purposes and they were al
ways selected with the greatest care.
So the Jersey cows fourished and their
fame gradually became noised abroad.
Cattle-breeders began to import them
into England and finally into this
country. Fearful that the breed of
cattle in the island of Jersey would be
injured by the importation in the island
of an inferior stock, the British Govern
ment early passed law forbidding any
cattle to be carried into the island for
100 years.
The importation of Jerseys into this
country began in 1850, the principal
importers being Thomas Molly, of
Boston, and Colonel TaiAtor, of Hart
ford. Just previous to the year 1860
Il demand sprang up in England for
Jerseys handsomely marked with black
points, to be used in ornamenting
lawns. Ever alive to their own inter-
ests, the breeders of the Jersey began
to give all their attention to producing
animals that were handsomely marked.
Cattle were brought from the north
west side of the island where the COWS
were prettier, but not so good produ-
GERS of milk, and mixed with those of
the best sort on the eastern slope, The
result was the deterioration of the
breed, and those cattle imported to this
country between 1860 and 1875 were Of
an inferior grade to those brought here
before and since. Those imported in
the past five years by L. S. Cooper and
others have been quite equal to the
original stock. 'it tli i'AifI
The cattle of the Jersey blood breG
in this country are said to be fully
equal in all points of excellence tC
those imported. There are now in the
United States imported animals thai
were formerly the most celebrated il
the island of Jersey, and most of those
bred here are of the very best Jersey
blood. There are at the present tim,
in this country 1900 Jerseys. o
these from 5000 to 5000 are imported
animals. There are many large anC
well-known herds. J. A. Walker, O
Worcester, Mass, has a herd of 20i
animals, descendants of the importa
tiOns previous to 1850. One of tn,
most valuable herds is that owned b,
A. B. Darling, of Railway, N. j., whicl
consists of 100 animals. Colonel Rus
sell, of Boston, has recently got to
gether a herd of the most beautiful an,
most expensive animals in the country
Theodore A. Havemeyer, of New York
has at his farm at Mountainside, N. J
very large and valuable herd of i'm
ported animals. An association {
those interested in the breeding of Jel
sey cattle, called the Jersey Cattl
Club, keeps a record of all the animal
of Jersey blood born in or brought int
the country. Some of the strains {
blood most highly priced are Cooma
sic, Alphea, Eurotas and Darlington
Enormous prices are paid for anima
of these strains. The COW Royal PriI
cess was recently bought by Mr.. Sho,
maker, of Baltimore, for $4,SOO.
son of CoOmassie, one year old, w;
sold few weeks ago for $500 I'll
well-knOWn bull Pedro was sold
Miller and Sibley to T. S, Cooper, ii
importer, for $4,000 cash not Vel
long since, and three-year-old son
EurOta's bPOuOht 80 500