The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1900-10-06
[DAIR Y IN b F OIJLTRY,
INTERESTING CHAPTERS FOR,
OUR RURAL READERS
How Successful Farmers Operate This
zs Department art e OF the Farm Few
Hints e to the Care 81 Lave Stock
and Poultry. IS 5

ss y SAAAsnI OI 5 Lh0 &s FArN1---&Ee WE
Hints 50 to the Care Of Live stock
and Poultry.
- $TFsS4s5 Guernseys.
Origin and History g The island Of
Guernsey is the second in size OF the
Channel Islands, and lies farthest to
the the west in this group. It is triangu
lar IN shape, being nine miles long and
ABOUT four in greatest width, with.
rough, rocky coasts, containing 16, 600
acres, Snd has population Of 35, OOo.t
| half OF whom live in the principal:
town, st. Peters. Market gardening is
the chief occupation Of the country
people. and dairy cattle form a second
airy interest. There are only about
1900 cattle owned upon the island. By
q long-continued policy of excluding
al live cattle from without its limits,
the stock OF the island has been built
up into a distinct breed. The origin
and history Of Guernsey and Jersey
cattle are practically the same, but in
the development Of the former more
| or the characteristics of the parent
stock of Normandy, France, have been,
retained. At present, however, Guern-
seys can be better compared with Jer-
seys than with any other cattle. It is
d1h1cult tolsay when Guernsey cattle
began to come to the United States,
but few are known to have been
owned near Philadelphia prior to 1856.
In America, as in England, all Chan
mel Island cattle imported were long
called Attorneys" irrespective OF the
island from which they came. Pure
as they were at home, each within its
own limits, the distinction was not
properly preserved after they reached
this country. But between 1870 and
1915 the Guernsey became recognized
here as a breed, and for twenty years
| 1mportations have been made nearly
| every year. The breed has steadily in
creased in numbers and as steadily has
gained in favor wherever introduced.
Characteristics.-Guernseys are a
size larger than Jerseys, stronger
boned, and a little coarser in appear
ance. They are claimed to be harder
and larger mixers, but both these
points are stoutly disputed. They are
generally very handsome and attrac-
tive cows The head of the Guernsey
is rather long, the neck slender, the
body large, deep and rangy, the rump
prominent, the TANKS thin, thighs in
| curved, and twist open and roomy. AL
together the animal is at once recog-
nfzed as bEsinesslike and belonging to
the pronounced dairy type They are
| light in color, yellow and orange pre-
dominating, with considerable white,
usually in large patches on the body
and ON the legs. Darker, shades, APP
preaching brown, are found upon some
cows and are quite common >on bulls.
The muzzles are almost invariably buff
or fesh-colored, surrounded by a fllet
OF light hair. Occasionally black
nose is found, showing the influence
OF some distant ancestor from Brit
tany.- The horns are small, curved,
fine, th1n-shelled, and Waxy in appear
ance, often showing a deep, rich yell
low for third of their length from
the base. A characteristic of this
breed is a very generous secretion of
yellow coloring matter, which pertains
to the whole skin, but is seen espe-
cially where the hair is white, in the
| ears, around the eyes, and about the
udder. This gives richness Ito the
animal which is very noticeable and
causes the butter produced to be of a
higher color at all seasons Of the year
than that of any other breed. The
udder and teats are large and admir-
ably shaped and placed, in selected
| specimens, but those and other dairy
markings do not, throughout the
breed, appear to be as fixed as in the
case of Jerseys, which have been sub
jected to a longer course Of careful
breeding. The Guernsey possesses a
nervous temperament, and yet the
cows are extremely quiet and gentle
when properly handled, and less trou-.
| bic is reported in the management of
aged bulls than with Jerseys OF like
age. - + b . = ~ i Fl
Milk and butter records. The cows
of this breed produce liberal quantities
OF milk, and it is of uncommon rich
ness in butter fat and in natural color
They are to be especially recommend
ed for butter cows, as well as for mar
ket milk where quality secures a rel
atively high price, and they are noted
for rich production combined with es-
pecial economy in feeding. They pos
sess great power Of assimilating food
and converting it into milk, yet are.
delicate feeders rather than gross,
and will not generally bear much fore
| ing. The grades, offspring Of Guern-
.sey bull and well-selected cows Of no
particular breeding, usually make very
satisfactory dairy stock. Guernsey
cows average 1000 pounds in weight,
or a little more, and thus, being heaY-5
Ter than Jerseys, they ara expected to
give more milk Farmers Bulletin
l106, Department of Agriculture
G oats as Brush Eaters
! Col. William L. Black, in his COM
i prehensiye treatise on The sAngora
: -