The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-05-20
GUERNSEY CATTLE.
An Essay Read Before the Guernsey Breeders
Association

Among the various breeds to which
popular attention has been called in re-
cent years, there is none deserving a
higher place in public estimation than
the Guernsey, whether for dairy prr-
poses or the later garncred profit as a
beef animal; and yet, perhaps, notwith-
standing such strong claims upon the
farmers and breeders attention, no
breed is so little generally known. Not
only are there very many who have
never seen Guernsey, but there are n
vast number more who have never seen
the milk or butter, and still greater
number who have never eaten Guernsey
beef. Those who have not, have vet to
see the deepest colored milk and cream.
the most golden colorcd butter, reuuir-
ing no aid from coloring matter either
III summer or winter, and to taste the
most highly-tlavored beef in existence,
having peculiar flavor of its own.
This breed may he said to be the hap
Ply medium between the diminutivc Jcr-
sey and the huge Fricsian, and COM
prlSlng the merits of both breeds 1t is
thus par-eXccllence the farmers breed,
especially for the buttcr-making farmer
Doclle to an extreme, bearing neglect of
care WELL it yet repays careful attention
and good feeding with as much interest
as can be expected of any bovine race.
COLOR OF THE BREED.
Even to the faStiilious, whom nothing
but solid color will please, it's rich
golden-hucd skin will prove attractive
and recommend it's pleasantly combined
hucs of yellow or lemon-fawn and white:
for i'll no other breed will there be found
such All eXudation of butyraccous mate
rial filling the pores and the hair with
unctlous matter, producing that soften
ing effect SO dear to the hand of the cx-
pert and to the breeder of butter, Mt
least, rs a general rule in this breed, it
beng the exception i'll other breeds.
While to the practical man, who knows
that color of the hair has not the slight
est influence upon the yield or constitu-
ton, the charming, softcning effects of
the blending of the golden fawns and
white are sources of perpetual delight.
ORIGIN OF THE BREED.
AS this is as old breed as any other,
has been kept purely brcd.as long, and
was imported into this country as early
as the Jersey, there must be n reason for
its being comparatively SO little known
and extended. The earliest settlers i,
the Sea-board districts were Dutch
Swedish and English. They naturally
brought with them the COWS from thci
homes, and thus, with the intcrminelin.
OF thclr cattle, there sprung mp what i.
now termed "Nativc Race" AS it was
found desirable to improve upon these
with plrc-brcd stock, the Devons. tn,
ShortholnS, the Jerseys and the Gucm.
seyS were imported. The latter two in
the first quarter of this century They
at once attracted great attention for their
richness of yield. Each breed was i'm
ported Unfortunately from eithe,
island under the general name of Alder
ney AS they became fashionable in
England, NJ d as each island restricted
importation, the true distinction finally
eliminated in the formation of clubs for
each breed The Jerseys, from their
great beauty, rs we'll rs merit, have taken
the lead. Their praise has been herald
eel III every manner, and being more
finely backed up by records of great per
folmance, the breed has a permanent
hold in this country, and as merit is
guiding selection now, it's claims to value
will increase. Thus, also, it is with the
Guernsey. The earliest importations
made by Colt, Biddle, King and others,
have been maintained by many others.
But Tor many years past those who were
developing the Gucrnseys in this corn-
try, were too busy cnlarging their herds,
hnd having none to spare, did but little
to call attention to them. But as n
knowledge of their merits spread, deal
crs have steadily been increasing thcn
lmportatiOnS, and breeders have conc
over and made selections, until now there
IS beginning to be supply for the rapid
ly increasing demand.
AS the island has history of Oven
two thousand years, rs the cattle have
strongl y marked peculiar characteristics
maintained by a rigid exclusion from the
| island Of any other breeds, it seems not
worth our while to enter into the dis
putcd question of the origin cf this
breed of cattle, but to content ourselves
with their excellence as we find them al
this day. We may, i'll passing, state on
belief that they arc of Norman origin
though there is some testimony which
might lead us to suppose they might
have originally been brought there by
| the Danes, or ut least that some animals
were imported by the Danes and mixed
with those found on the island. As
Normandy an" Brittany are the nearest
coast lands of Franco with which there is
constant communication, and as the
present Norman breeds, the Contcntinc
and the like, are very similar, almost
equally noted for their rich dairy quail
ties, and yielding most superior butter,
that known as coming from Isigny and
Baycut and bringing the highest price in
the MARKET say these ppiQta should
have great weight III ascribing the main
n N Cyin Of