The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-05-19
Guernsey CATTLE.
ln Essay Read Before the Guernsey Breeders
isSOciutiOE.

Among the various breeds to which
popular attention has been called IN re-
cent years, there is none deserving a
higher place III public estimation than
the Guernsey. whether for dairy pur-
poses or the later garrered profit as a
beef animal: and yet. perhaps, notwlth-
standing such strong claims upon the
farmers and breeders attention, no
breed is so little generally known. Not
only are there very many who haye
never seen Guernsey, but there are a
vast number more WHO have never seen
the milk or butter, and Il still greater
number who have never eaten Guernsey
beet. Those who have not, have yet to
see the deepest colorel milk and cream,
the most golden colored butter, req,lir-
ing no aid from coloring matter either
in summer or winter, and to taste the
most ghlv-havored beef in existence,
having peculiar favor Of its own.
This breed may be said to be the hap
py medium between the diminntive Jer-
sev and the huge Friesian, and COM
prising the merits of both breeds. 1t is
thus par-excellence the farmers breed,
especially for the butter-making farmer.
Docile 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 fastidious, whom nothing
but solid color will please, its rich
golden-hued skin will prove attractive
and recommend its pleasantly combined
hues of yellow or lemon-fawn and white;
for in no other breed will there be found
such an exudation of butyraceous mate
rial filing the pores and the hair with
rmctious matter, producing that soften
ing effect so dear to the hand of the eX-
pert and to the breeder of butter, at
least, as Il general rule in this breed, it
being the exception in 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, softening effects of
the blending oi the golden fawns and
white are sources of perpetual delight
ORIGIN OF THE BREED.
AS this is as old a breed as any other.
has been kept purely bred as long, and
was imported into this country as early
as the jersey, there must be a reason for
its being comparatively so little known
and extended. The earliest settlers in
the sea-board districts We're Dutch,
Swedish and English. They naturally
brought with them the COWS from their
homes, and thus, with the intermingGng
of their cattle, there sprung up what is
now termed ''Native Race" As it was
found desirable to improve upon these
with pure-bred stock, the Devons, the
-Shorthorns, the Jerseys and the Guern-
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 indiscriminately from either
island under the general name Of Alder
ney. AS they became fashionable in
England. and us each island restricted
importation, the true distinction finally
eliminated in the formation of clubs for
each breed. The Jerseys, from their
great beauty, as well as merit, have t:.Ken
the lead. Their praise has been herald
ed in every manner, and being more
finely backed up by records of great per
folmance, the breed has permanent
hold in this country, and as merit is
guiding selection now, its 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 for many years past those who were
developing the Gnernsevs in this conn-
ny, were too busy enlarging their herds,
and having none to spare, did but little
to call attention to them. But as a
knowledge of their merits spread, deal
ers have steadily been increasing then
in1portations, and breeders have gone
over and made selections, until now there
is beginning to be a supply for the rapid
ly increasing demand.
As the island has Il history OF over
two thousand years, as the cattle have
strongly marked peculiar characteristics,
maintained by a rigid exclusion from the
island of any other breeds, it seems moi
worth our while to enter into the dis
puted question Of the origin OF this
breed Of cattle, but to content ourselves
with their excellence as we find them at
this day. We may, in passing, state oul
belief that they are 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 at least that some animals
were imported by the Danes and mixed
with those found on the island. a.
Normandy and Brittany are the nearest
coast lands of France with which there Is
constant communication, and as the
present Norman breeds, the Contentinc
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
Bayeut and bringing the hishestprice Ill
the mari, ,et-I say these points ShOuld