The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-07-16
GUERNSEY CATTT :.

GUERNSEY CATTTE.
A short time a 70 a convention Of
Jersey and Guernsey dairymen was
held in the Channel Islands from
which these famous cattle derive their
name. Though doubtless from the
same stock originally. a close exclu-
sive system of breeding to certain
standard, has developed two varieties
OF cattle widely apart in many
OF their characteristics. We on
this side of the herring pond,n have
become quite familiar with the Jersey
and 1t Is generally admitted that we
can show better specimens of the
breed than can be found on their ma
tive island. But the Guernsey is still
comparative stranger. though in al
most every respect a better animal
AS might be expected there is consid,
cradle rivalry, not to say jealousy, be,
tween the Jersey and Guernsey
breeders, each believing he has got
the best, and he never wearies of
singing the praises of his pet
In describing their stock they
wax eloquent and poetic as witness
the following extracts from a paper
read at the convention by q native
Guernsey breeder:
The Guernsey COW is no mean ami
ma; she weighs from 900 to 1900
pounds; she is an unpretentious, use
ful animal, with form to delight the
eye of the practical dairyman, because
it means milk.
She is of the wedge form, high and
broad in the headquarters, narrowing
toward the front; yet she is not thin
in the chest, like many milch COWS,
but has thickness through the heart
which indicates constitution. An un
prejudiced person passing judgment
on the two breeds from their appear
ance only would say the jersey b..
longed to the lawn and gentleman's
park, while the Guernsey's place was
in the rank and file OF the handwOrk-
erS, where butter making meant bust
ness.
The head, horns and neck of many
are too heavy to look well; the udder
aud teats are often deficient. particu-
larly the fore udder and front teats
The udder often appears to be cut
away in trout, which gives the
teas q backward slant which is
not elegant. When we come across
IA shorthorn or II Hereford, the first i'm
PRESTON on our mind is, what q fine
beef animal? when we see a jersey
our first thought is, what pretty lit
tie beast? but when we meet GUern-
sey the first and lasting impression or
the mind is, what a SPLENDID mich
COW! You see it in the broad golden
rim encircling her eyes, in her green
and glossy horns and hoofs; you see it
in the orange color of her skin. some
times so full of yellow dandruff as to
appear as if the animal had been pow
dere1 with gold dust; you see it in Il
skin as soft as velvet. iii her long prom
jneut milk veins; and finally you see it
in that large, deep, well fitted silken
bar. so yellow, and developed by a skin
so fine. so soft and so thin as to almost
appear tran 'parent.
THE ROCKY ROAD FARMER.
| can spot the rocky road farmer
every cIatter, whenever l see him
He shows his hand and carries his sign
around with him wherever he goes
People read man S sign according TO
the way he totes it. He generally rides
a one eyed, flop cared mule with a
rope rein bride, or maybe walks ind
totes nothing but sorry tobacco. He
is ALWAYS kicking about hard luck and
the weather. and cussin the lawyers,
and merchants, and politicians, and
looking like the bank was busted and
all of his friends were dead and buried
IfNou go home with him you will
find that the rocky road ruLs right
through his place. center shot, leaving
signs of laziness and hard times all
around, and through and through.
Laziness and hard times run to-
gether as natural as batter cakes and
no!asses. His fences are set ever!
way fer Sunday, if they amt tumbled
down, the gates sag or stand wide
open. and everything is slipshod, ram
shackled and run down at
the heels. | don't like to
see farm like that. 1t always gives
me an appetite to curse little around
the edges
No garden, no flowers, no books, nc
papers, no music, no comforts, nc
pleasure, no nothin' at all scarcely.
Comm right down TO brass tacSS
and straight business, l don't take tc
the rocky road farmer worth a cent
I've got nothin' particular ag'in' the
man, but he cusses so constant and
kicks promlscus till his ways are three
or four times too many for me. we
can't exactly make music through the
same whistle. l believe in Twin while
live. / can't live more than seventy
lNn