The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-03-14
JERSEY COWS.
Prize Essay, by J. H. Turner.
THEIR HISTORY.

forbidden. under heavy penalties, the
introduction into the island of any and
every member Of the bovine race; the
increase therefore is confined wholly
to the births from the thoroughbred
cattle on the island. a single excep-
tion is made in favor of steers for beef
purposes Whatever, thereforefore, Of
merit there is in keeping a breed
strictly pure the Jersey possesses in a
supereminent degree. Bred upon
little island where no other breed Of
horned cattle was allowed, by rural
population who were interested in the
milk only as to its butter content, but
ter Outside Of vegetables for market)
being the money crop, with but little
if any demand for milk, it was natural
that she should be bred with the view
of producing butter The result Of
breeding for generations for a specific
object has been to make the Jersey q
butter" COW. The Jersey is the most
thoroughbred of domestic amin is, the
| long line of special breeding fixing the
characteristics SO strongly that every
animal Of the breed possesses the hered-
ity Or prepOtency to transmit its own
qualities to it's offspring; and herein
lies one of the vast superi0rities Of the
Jersey. In her native habitation her
surroundings, conditions of life, habits,
etc, have always tended to make the
Jersey butter COW Dut it was reserved
to the American breeder, by upward
of forty years of devoted skill and un-
| tiring application, to develop her to her
greatest capacity, AS q result Of his
Systematic ende3vvrs. the American
bred jersey Of to day Is more than 80
per cent, superior in butter capacity TO
that Of twenty years ago. We often
hear of the phenomenal record break
ers, which show what highly bred,
specialized COW may do under scientific
high pressure systems Of feeding, also
the wonderful progress our breeders
have made III the art Of breeding for a
purpose; but the greatest glory of the
Je sey lies notin these abnormal yields,
wonderful though they be- out in not
less wonderful averages obtained in
every State in our glorious Union.
THEIR VALUE
a very important question 10 all
et0ckmen is, What breed of cattle will
make the most milk, or butter, or
cheese, or beef Or, to put it in other
words, what breed of cattle will make
the most of the product desired, at
least cost? Our test, and the test ofalI
dairymen, of the value of cow is the
number of pounds Of butter she makes
on ordinary feed. The dairy question
is how to make the most butter at the
least cost, and our experience proves
to us that the Jersey is the answer
to the problem; she is pre- eminent
" the mortgage litter. A COW that
can be kept on the moving of
half-acre lot or lawn, served with a
quart Or two of meal daily, that can
be made pet of, and will give pound
and upward Of butter Of excellent
quality every twenty four hours, with
cream for the table, milk for all pur
poses and to spare, is the best and
cheapest cow for the family and butter
dairy as we'll. Their value can hardly
be estimated i'll dollars and cents.
THEIR USEFULNESS.
The Jerseys are the grandest, most
beautiful, most useful, most fashion
able as well as most profitable stock
for the family and the dairy through
out the whole world. They show their
superiority not only as the greatest
milk producers or the greatest butter
makers, but also as universal dairy
COWS, adapting themselves to any and
all climates. We find the Jersey at
her bes5 while Drawing the rigors Of a
Canadian winter beating the whole
worlds record as butter machine in
the hot, dry climate of the Sunny
South, retaining her health and vigor
equally on the granite hills of New
England, the plains of Texas, the foot
hills of the Rocky Mountains and in the
soft, balmy climate of California. An
other peculiar characteristic of the
Jersey is her habit Of persistent milk
ing; she is an everlasting "stayer,"
hence she is adapted to continuous use
fulness in the dairy. She is likewise
early to breed and very prolific.
TREATMENT AND CARE.
Precisely the same treatment is re-
quired by the Jersey as is required by
a good COW of any other breed-no
more, no less. But a great many COWS
of other breeds are, when compared
with the little 8OO-pound Jersey, very
large, being 50 to 100 per cent. larger.
1t is a we'll esta hlished fact that on, the