The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-10-16
HOME OF THE JERSEY COW.
THE ISLAND FROM WHICH THE
FINEST COWS COME.
Its People and Climate Qualities
OF tho Cows Raised There-Ihc
Animals Ecscriicd.


cluster, distant about fifteen miles from
the coast of France, in line with the
end of the south coast of England.
The most easterly is Jersey. Here the
traveller will find a people the purity
of whose descent has been unbroken for
centuries, enjoying such social and physi-
cal advantages MS more numerous COM
munities are seldom favored with. The
neighboring island of Alderney is in
habited only by a few fishermen; Guern-
sey has a small but thriving seafaring
population; but Jersey, the largest of
them all, though only eleven miles in
length and five and half in width, has
a colony of small gentility whose perfect
organization it would be hard to excel.
The coast Of the island rises abruptly on
the northern side to height of 400 feet;
on the south the land meets the'ocean al
most on a level. The varied geological
composition of the underlying strata
gives the soil a variety which, however,
never interferes with its universal fertil-
ity. The climate is all that can be de-
sired. Excessive cold is unknown, and
the abundant rains always find a ready
drainage in the looseness of the soil and
the general slope of the land. The
vegetation, watered by innumcrlblc rills
and sheltered by the valleys that inter-
sect the island throughout its longitude
nal extension, obtains an abundant and
regular luXuriance. The pears, apples,
potatoes and hay are crops no less re-
nowned in foreign markets than the oys-
tiers and the boundless variety of fish
the islanders export.
This is the home of the Jersey COW.
Here, through long and persistent selec-
ton and by means of the most careful
manipulation, one of our most remark
able domestic animals has been dcvel-
oped. For many years the breed was
confined to its home. as the isolation Of
the Channel Islands and the retiring dis
position of the rural inhabitants pre-
vented the recognition of its peculiar
merits. Within the last fifty
years, however, the fame of
this and the allied varieties-thc
Guernsey and Alderney - has spread
abroad. so that to-day, in America alone,
there may be found three times as much
of this stock as on the mother islands
The Guernsey and the Jersey have very
little in common. The Alderney is a
cross between the two. 1t is important
nzed. When Jerseys were first imported
: by us they were generally known as Al
derneys; even to this day they are often
/ spoken of by this name, but it is an err
roneous one and should be discarded.
The origin OF the Jersey cow is unset
tied. The Jersey was bred with the sole
view to the greatest possible develop
ment of butyraceous qualities, in the
pursuits ot which end every thing else
was neglected. The most highly priced
characteristics of this race are not even
approached by any other. The Swiss
cattle, reduced in size and in general
colrseness of limb, would resemble the
Jersey somewhat, but as the Swiss ami
mails are remotely removed from the
Channel islands, and as the intervening
countries have breeds of cattle dissimi-
lar in every respect, common ancestral
stock would seem improbable. 1t is not
doubted that the Jersey had many years
ago already been crossed on other breeds,
but it is known beyond doubt that the
year 1889 the importation into Jersey OF
COW. heifer, calf or bull was prohibited
under the penalty of 200 livres, with the
forfeiture of boat and tackle, beside a
fine of fifty livreS to be imposed on every
sailor on board who did not inform OF
the attempt on importation. Contam-
nation with foreign blood being safely
guarded against, the islanders set about
improving their already exceptional
stock. That this might be done to the
most effective end and with scientific
correctness, the best butter COWS on the
island were collected, and from careful
study of them 'scale of points wa;
determined that should serve in future
for the exterior recognition of the in
herent quality of the individual.
The Jersey COW of to-day, the result
of this most careful system of breeding
is an animal of medium size and of pc
culiar deer like aspect, especially during
her youth. Her head is long and slen
der, her muzzle fine and usually encirclet
with a lighter color; the nose is black,
and the eyes should be large, dreamy anC
encircled with black band. The horns
are usually short, small at the base, of
saffron yellow color, and tipped witt
black. They should curve inward. Thu
requirement is often Detective and fol
such cases the Jerseyman has an ap
pliance consisting of a strong wire clamp
with an arrangement of screws, which
he atliXes to the horns of the growing
beast. and by dint of filing and screwins
up eventually gives them the orthodox
bend. The body should be large anc
hing low to the ground, the limbs pc
culiarly slender and fine. The "uddcl
developments" are. of course, very i'm
portant. In perfect COW the bag should
be large, preferably in lateral extension
than in depth; the milk veins should b,
prominent as thick, tortuous swellings
running far up the ventral surface. BE
fore the milking qualities OF the Jcrse.
were universally reco gnizcd she wa
sought after especially by Englshmen,
as an ornament for the lswn. She is
beautiful animal at every age. Also ar
these animals treated by their owners, OF
their native island, at east with rs mucl
care and gentlencss MS could be bestowed
on human friends, and this attention Ia
taught them such perfect habits of clean
illness, and has put them on such ia
miliar footing with their human associ
ates, that the selection OF Jersey as Al
IL l,o,,col,nll ina -