The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1894-05-17
THE JERSEYS IN MAINE.
PRIZE ESSAY ny J. W. LANG

1t may be interesting and useful to
trace the history Of the Jerseys in Maine. /
to sketch their rise their spread and /
their eonquests, They have come to
stay; they came against popular opinion,
met rldicule and opposition, derson and |
denunciation, but have overcome, have /
conquered o popularity, have won on
their merits, and have been great |
blessing to the State OF Maine and will
continue to be.
To William S. Grant, of Farmingdale, |
and Dr. Ezekiel Holmes, of Winthrop, |
we are indebted for the introduction of !
the Jersey into Maine, Mr.. Grant was
probably the pioneer in this line. He
purchased in 1852 or 1858 his foundation
stock OF Samuel Henshaw of Boston,
Mass, who imported 1t from the Island
of Jersey, The bull Old Duke and one
or two heifers were the purchase Of Mr..
Grant. This bull figures largely In the
early Jersey annals of the State
In 1885 DR.. Holmes brought the famous
bull Butter Boy and cow Pansy Sd into
Winthrop from Mr.. Henshaw. The sire
of Pansy was Sailor Boy, her dam was
Pansy, The plan of introducing Jerseys
was ridiculed and thought to be almost
suicidal to the stock interests of the
State. Pansy Sd dropped seven heier
calves in succession, and much Of the
best dairy stock in Maine today traces
back to this Pansy blood Buttercup,
imported in her dam by Mr., Thayer, of
BrOokline, Mass, was one OF the famous
cows introduced by Mr.. Grant. Later
Mr.. Chisolm, OF Augusta, owned her
and others, and she is one Of the famous
early mothers OF the brood in the State.
-Four quarts of her milk would make a
pound of butter, and she was not dry for
a number of years. She was resold to
Massachusetts, at the age of sixteen
years. She made seven pounds OF but
ter per week, great yield in those days.
In 1868 Greenleaf Smith, of Winthrop,
bought the famous cow Lily Of George
Brown, of Boston; she had a record OF
IN pounds of butter per week. She
was imported by Brown. She made 16
pounds of butter per week in Winthrop.
At ten years of age she had been dry
but few times, and farrow but once.
L. II. Smell, of Winthrop, was among
the early breeders of Jerseys. c. S.
Robbins, n. s. Pike, A. Robinson and
others deserve mention as pioneers or
early converts to the Jersey faith. In
and about the fine farming town of
Winthrop the Jerseys had their earliest
and greatest development, and the far
mers and dairymen have therefore reap
cd the larger reward. A cheese factory,
butter factory, and now condensed
milk factory of large capacity, are the
outcome of this early planting and cul-
tivating of Jersey blood, together with
large private dairy interests and general
prosperity. Maine has sent first-class
Jersey blood by the single animal, by
the herd, and by the carload to nearly
every State in the Union,
The first Jerseys in Sagadahoc county
were purchased in 1859 by Rev. S. f.
Dyke, of Bath of Mr.. Grant, of Kennc-
bee comfy. Mr.. Dixie sold animals to
Hon. G, j. Gilman, Of Brunswick, and
NJ. E. Rice, of Stetson. Geo Sampson,
OF Bowdoinham, had some of his stock
from Thomas Motley, of Roxbury, Mass.
E. X, Whitney, of Harrison; James w.
North, of East jefferson; DR.. N. r. Bou-
telle, of Watervile; M. E. Rice, of
Stetson; g. j. Shaw, of Detroit; Gen.
W. S, Tilton, at National Soldiers
Home, Togus: j, & N. Dane, Kenne-
bunk, and the State College of Agricul-
ture and Mechanical Arts at Orono,
wete early intoducers, breeders, pro-
moters and developers of the Jersey in
terests in Maine.
Today in the older counties of theState,
one -half the horned cattle are Jerseys
or their grades-almost entirely so about
our cities and villages. Jersey milk and
butter leads in our markets, and poor
milk or butter has no call.
One can hardly realize the courage,
nerve and pluck it took to introduce,
keep and breed the Jerseys in Maine
thirty or forty years ago. Then oxen
and steers, large breeds and their grades,
We're the fayorites. Beef was more OF
an object than butter The gentle. !
meek-eyed Jerseys, with decr-like limbs, |
large ears, and small carcass, met with |
only ridicule and reproach. 1t was
thought those who introduced them
were on the high road, or should be, to |
the lunatic asylum. Slowly but surely |
they have won their way, till today they |
are the most popular breed in the State. |
The West with its wide ranges, has |
pushed beef-production to the wall in |
Maine, and the dairy has become promi-
nent and the most reliable branch of |
stock husbandry. The future OF the
Jersey interest in Maine is bright with
promise. The day OF fancy prices for
fancy animals is past, Performance and
production must hereafter govern prices.
The boom is over, now will follow the
steady demand of established business.
This is the only safe and reliable foun-
datinn ON 1snich To oct hIisla ~. hlliId