Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1885-11-21
Home cg the Jersey Cow.

Home az the Jersey Cow.
The Channel islands liei in asmall
cluster, distant about fifteen miles
from the coast of France, in line
with the end of the south coast of
England. The most eaSterlv is
Jersey. Here the traveller will find
people the purity of whose de
scent has been unbroFen for celltu
ries, enjoying such social and physi.
cal advantages as more numerous
communities are seldom favored
Will. The nelghboring island OF
Attorney isinhabited only by a few
fishermen; GuernseyhaS asmall but
thriving seafaring populations; but
Jersey, tue larGestofthem although
only eleven miles in length and five
and n halfin width, has Il colony OF
snal! gentility whose perfect organ
ization it would he hard to excel
Tie coast of the island rises abrupt
" on the northern side. to Il height
of 400 feet; on the south the land
mertS the ocean almost on level.
The varied geological composition
of the underlying strata gives the
soil a variety which, however, never
intertereS with its universal fertili
ty. The climate is all that can be
desired. Excessive cold Sunknown,
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 innumerable lills and sheltered
by the valleys that intersect the is
land throughout its longitudinal
extension, obtains abundantand
regular luxuriance. The pears, APP
pies, potatoes and hay are crops no
less renowned in foreign markets
than the oysters and the boundlesS
variety of fish the islanders export
This is the home Of the Jersey
COW. Here, through long and per
sistent selection and By means Of
the most careful manipulation, one
of our most remarkable domestic
animals has been developed. For
many years the breed was confined
TO it's home, as the isolation of the
Channel Islands and the retiring
disposition of the rural inhabitants
prevented the recognition Of its
peculiar merits. Within the last
fifty years, however, the fame of
this and the allied varietles-the
GuernScyand Alderney-haS spread
abroad, so that to-day, in America
alone, there may be found three
times as much of this stock as OH
the mother islands. The Guernsey
ard the Jersey have very little i'll
common. The Alderney is ! cross
between the two. 1t is important
that this distinction should be re-
cognizcd. When Jerseys were first
imported by us they were generally
known as Attorneys; even TO this
day they are often spoken of By
this name, bnt it is an erroneous
one and should be discarded.
The origin of the Jersey COW is
unsettled. The Jersey was bred
with the sole view to the greatest
possible development of the buty-
raceous qualities, in the pursuits of
which end everythingelSe was neg
lectcd. The most highly priced
characteristics of this race are not
even approached by amy other
The Swiss cattle, reduced i'll size
and in general coarseness Of limb
would resemble tile Jersey some
3, ,isss. but S- az, the animals are
remotely removed from tile Chan
mel islands, and as the intervening
countries have breeds of cattle dis
similar in every respect, a common
ancestral stock would seem improb
able. 1t is not doubted that the
Jersey had many years ago already
been crossed on other breeds, but
it is known beyond a doubt that
the year 1859 the importation into
Jersey of COW, heiter, calf or bul
was prohibited under the penalty
OF 200 livrcs, with the forfeiture Of
boat and tackle, beside fine OF
4 fifty livres to be imposed Oh every
sailor On board who did not inform
of the attempt on Importation
Contamination with foreign blood
being safely guarded against, the
islanders set abou; improving their
already exceptional stock. That
this might be done to the most eff
fectivc end and with scientific COZ.
rectness, the best butter COWS on
tue island were collected, and from
a careful study OF them Il "scale OF
points, was determined that should
serve in future for the exterior re.
cognition of the inherent quality OF
the individual.
The Jersey COW Of to-day, tie re-
suit of this most careful system of
breeding, is All animal OF medium
size aud OF peculiar deerlike asl ect