The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-04-25
THE JERSEY cow AND HER
PRODUCT.
Prize Essay, by George. Jackson.

by those whose self interest anu @u
miration for other milking breeds SINUS
her out from employment IN inc ""Iiy'
that the Jersey COW, as a superior OuC-
ter-meker and great producer OF rich
cream. stands without a peer, ana an
honest confession from any practlcal
source with a full knowledge of facts,
will accord her this distinction, no
matter what objections the breed may
possess in disqualifying it for other
purposes
As a family COW, whose milk~foW
never ceases from the beginning to the
end of the year, always heavily laden
with cream, a royal favorite and an
ornament to the barnyard, mild in dis
position, continually evircing a dlspo-
sition to do the right thing-these
points her bitterest opponents will
freely admit. She isnotnoted specially
as a large yielder of milk, although
scores and hundreds of instances are
recorded attesting great capacity in
this direction,
HiNS W SCNCA Sd1AOL1S PG1 Jay All
mirable showing for any COW, of any
breed, to make, and is fully equal to
the amount given by many good ami
mails of the heavier milking breeds,
whose best claim is for great yield of
milk. Jerseys without number have
records, we'll authenticated, in excess
of the highest amount named, and the
lowest is but little above a good aver
age for first class animals of the breed
when in full flow of milk, and when
circumstances are most favorable.
A large quantity Of milk from the
Jersey COW is not, in itself, esteemed
the most valuable consideration, as
this feature is almost certain to detract
from its richness; a heavy milking COW,
of any breed, cannot very we'll, in the
natural order of things, produce very
rich milk, and in proportion to increase
of flow there is a lessening of the oily
parts of which butter is composed.
Experience teaches that compare
lively small mixers are often the
heaviest butter-makers; very few of
the large butter producers Of the race
have given an unusually great flow Of
milk, and it will be noted invariably
that a pound of butter is produced
from less milk from a COW giving a
small amount than from one with a
heavy flow of milk.
| have before me a list of over thirty
Jersey COWS, none Of them remarkable
for great milk giving capacity, that
have produced a pound of butter each
from an amount Of milk varying from
81 to 10 pounds. The average Of Jersey
milk requires from Is to Is pounds for
a pound of butter. This is the average
quantity of milk from fresh cows; as
the milking period advances, the milk
becomes richer in cream and yields
proportionately more butter.
The list alluded to contains the names
of many of the most noted cow Of the
breed, with butter records varying
from 80 pounds to 46 pounds 49, ounces
per week. One Of them produced 936
pounds 148 ounces within a year, which
was all sold at an average of 80 cents
per pound several Of them have official
records of 80 pounds per week and
more; all are great consumers of con-
centrated food, with immense digestive
powers, and none are inclined to &C
cumulate flesh when in full flow of
milk. A daily yield of more than 80
pounds Of milk from any COW in the
list is exceptional, and during the
gre ter period Of their milking term it
runs down below half that quantity.
These COWS and their characteristics
are typical of their race, and the wise
breeder will not seek to divert the
course of usefulness into other channels
than legitimate ones. The gain in
quantity of milk will be at the sacrifice
of butter and cream, and is conse-
quently a retrOgrade movement and
unwise. The Jersey COW was created
for a butter producer, and for this she
is absolutely unrivaled; and while it is
possible, by a persistent line Of breed
ing, to change, to an extent, her habits,
and even her nature, and produce an
animal that will give more milk, the
course is wrong, and antagonizes the
plans established by nature. Large
quantities of milk, and this rich in the
exhaustive fats of butter, are wholly
Incompatible in the same animal.
There are other breeds in the field
specially adapted for heavy mlk-pro-
.uction, the capacity of which the
Jersey COW scarcely hopes to success
fully compete with, even if desired;
but her supporters need have no alarm