The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1893-05-24
The Jersey Cow And Her Product,
PRIZE ESSAY, BY GEORGE JACKSON.

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from employment in the dairy, that the
Jersey COW, as superior butter-maker
and great producer of rich cream, stands
without peer, and an honest confession
from any practical source, with full
knowledge of facts, will accord her this
distinction, no matter what objection the
breed may possess in disqualifying it for
other purposes.
As family COW, whose milk-how new
er 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 disposition, con-
tinually evincing disposition to do the
right thing-these points her bitterest
opponents will freely admit. She is not
noted specially as large yielder Of milk,
although scores and hundreds of instances
are recorded attesting great capacity in
this direction.
Five to seven gallons per day is an ad
mirable showing for any COW, of any
breed, to make, and is fully equal to any
amount given by many good animals of
the heavier milking breeds, whose best
claim is for great yield of milk. Jerseys
without number have records, well au-
thenticated, in excess of the highest
amount named, and the lowest is but lit
tie above good average for high-class
animals of the breed when in full flow of
milk, and when circumstances are most
favorable.
A large quantity of milk from the Jer-
sey COW is not, in itself, esteemed the
most valuable consideration, as.this fea-
ture is almost certain to detract from its
richness; heavy milking COW, of any
breed cannot very well, 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 comparatively
small mixers are often the heaviest but
ter-makers; very few of the large butter
producers of the race have given an I'M
usually 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 heavy flow of milk.
have before me 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 re-
quires from 10 to 10 pounds for 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 cows of the
breed, with butter records varying from
30 pounds to 46 pounds II! ounces per
week. One of them produced 936 pounds
l43 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 concentrated food, with i'm
mense digestive powers, and none are in
clined to accumulate flesh when in full
flow of milk. A daily yield of more than
so pounds of milk from any COW in the
list is exceptional, and during the greater
period Of their milking term it runs down
below one-half that quantity.
These COWS and their characteristics are
typical of their race, and the wise breed
er will not seek to divert the cause of
usefulness into other channels than legit-
innate ones. The gain in quantity of milk
will be at the sacrifice of butter and
cream, and is consequently retrograde
movement and unwise. The Jersey COW
was created for butter-producer, and
for this she is absolutely unrivaled; and
while it is possible, by persistent line
of breeding, 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 milk-produc-
ton, the capacity Of which the Jersey
COW scarcely hopes to successfully compete
with, even il desired but her supporters
need have no alarm that her prestige for
butter-making wifi ever be lowered or
weakened by these enormous milking
machines. They may fill the largest
bucket, but that is as far as they will ever
reach. Leave that honor to them, and
let the aim of the Jersey breeder be to
produce the greatest number of cows cap
able OF producing IA pounds and over of
butter per week, or 1000 pounds per
year, and to so skillfully control the sys-
tenn that there will be no blanks or dis
appointments. This is glory enough for