The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1893-09-14
TANNING A BADhY-RAISEO JERSEY
COW.
COW
PRIZE ESSAY, BY Mrs. CARRIE
BALsLEY.

AS our lot is not a very large one,
and most of it SET to fruit OF different
kinds, we decided, when We first began
housekeeping, to buy our milk and
butter. We soon discovered however,
that this was the largest bin we had to
meet, while the butter was often of
third rate quality and the milk was
very thin and blue. After considering
the matter some time, we came to the
conclusion that we could better our
selves by keeping 4 COW Of our own, so
we bought one, a great big creature
that was said to give h river of milk
and make lots of butter
We found that she did give lots of
milk, but very little butter in it, so, af-
ter keeping her few weeks, we sold
her and tried another, and then anoth-
er, all large cows but a little figuring
satisfied us that their feed cost more
than all the cream and butter we OBJ
fsined from them was worth. My hus-
band sold the last one and declared
he would have nothing more to do
with COWS But was very anxious to
try genuine Jersey, and after good
deal of coaxlng finally persuaded him
to buy one.
When our neighbors heard of it they
poked all sorts of fun at us. "Why
don't you buy wild dear?" asked one,
"Buy Jersey and a Jackrabbit," said
another, "and you'll have a team"
The idea that Jerseys are naturally
wild I find prevails quite extensively
among people who have but little
knowledge Of this breed Of cattle.
Nothing could be further from the
truth, as l shall show.
Alter looking about some time, my
husband purchased one from man
who kept herd She was two years
old, wee bit of thing, and had been
raised in large pasture where no per-
son had touched her. She had dropped
a calf about week before we bought
her.
When they brought her to us a man
was walking on each side OF her with
rope fastened to her head, while an
other followed with big whip. They
tied her in the stable and went to see
her. She looked at me with her great,
dark eyes as though she thought l was
going to kill her on the spot, then
sprang into the manger. Ny husband
was obliged t. tie her so she could
scarcely move in order to milk her.
The following morning | went to the
stable and offered her an ear OF corn,
holding it in my hand, At first she
tried to break away, but finding her
self fast, turned her great eyes on me
and uttered a plaintive moan. Actu-
ally l could scarcely keep from crying
Tor the poor little thing. Presently
however, she smelled of the corn and
then took it.
In the afternoon l brought down 6
light rocker and some sewing and sa
in an adjoining stall couple OF hours
| then fed her, and she allowed me tx
rub her neck. Three days afterward
could go into the stall with her brusl
her down and milk her, and in TIVE
weeks she was following me about tn
yard like a pet lamb She is still
little afraid of strangers, and move
away when they attempt to approach
her, but this timidity is wholly due,
am satisfied, to the wild, rough mar
ner in which she was raised, for he
calves are as gentle and tame as an
one could wish. In fact, they are Ii
tie too tame and familiar. We hav
been obliged to keep every one {
them tied or yarded to keep them OF
OF the house, and to prevent thei
from annoying visitors. Handlin
makes the disposition. A properly hal
died Jersey COW is the gentlest an
NAL in the world.
We use large quantities OF fres
fruits and Graham gems in our fan
lily, and these require lots Of bot
cream and butter, and I also use ba