Oxford Democrat., 1903-09-08
The Worlds Best Jerseys.

The WORLDS Best Jerseys.
HERD SELECTED FROM THE WHOLE
COUNTRY IN TRAINING FOR THE ST.
LOUIS FAIR.
tie ever assembled at any one point may
be seen on model farm at Jerseyville,
Jersey County, Ill. The worth OF this
herd can only be approximated, for the
cattle are not for sale. An offer of Sl5,-
900 for single member was promptly
declined, and not an animal would bring
less than $500 if placed on the market
| to-day.
The cows are the property of individ-
ual members of the American Jersey
Cattle Club, and they are assembled be-
cause they are the best qualified to make
up a herd that will represent the Jersey
breed in the great dairy demonstration
arranged for the Worlds Fair at st.
Louis in 1904 by +. ID. Coburn, Chief of
Livestock.
Unequalled care and attention are
being given these cattle. No athlete
| trained for an event requiring the de-
velopment of strength, endurance and
skill ever received more attention than
| is being bestowed on these full blood
Jerseys. When the Louisiana Purchase
Exposition opens its gates on April 30,
next year, the herd will have been in
constant training for full year and
will be in the pink of condition.
Twenty-Five cows will participate in
hn Eair
COWS are held in reserve, TO be substitut-
ed should occasion require. Great eau
ton and judgment were exercised in the
selection of these candidates. The COM
mittee was free to select from any of the
two hundred and fifty thousand register
ed Jerseys in America, and the animals
thus come from all sections of the United
States.
The owners of the cattle are prosper
Gus, and they and the Jersey Club to
which they belong determined to spare
no expense in making perfect showing.
The cows selected from widely separated
points, some coming from Maine and
some from Oregon, some from the North
and others from the South, could not
give satisfactory results until they were
accustomed to the ST. Louis climate, so
a point near st. Louis was desired for
assembling the herd, and as A. o. Auten,
of Evanston, H., a member of the club,
rendered the use gratuitously of his
four hundred acre farm on the outskirts
of Jerseyville, his proposition was ac-
cepted.
This farm, forty miles from ST. Louis,
and one of the best in Illinois, has been
pronounced ideal for the purpose, and
there the work of getting the Jerseys in
condition is going forward.
C. T. Graves, of Maitland, Mo-, a we'll
known breeder of Jersey cattle, and an
expert on all matters pertaining to the
dairy, was selected to take charge OF
operations, and with his family he moved
to JerSeyville early in 1908 and began
the interesting work. Ii was planned to
construct on Mr.. Auten's farm model
dairy and accessories, and under Mr..
Graves's personal direction this has
been done.
First he designed cow stable, which
was completed early in July, and it is
probable that not another barn in the
world is as complete in every respect as
this one. 1t is square, with stable
wings on the north and west. The north
wing has stalls for twenty-four cows,
and the west wing has stalls for twelve
cows and six roomy box stalls.
The barn and stables are marvels of
convenience and cleanliness. An elec-
trio plant in separate building furnish
es light and power. The numerous
windows are perfectly screened and
many electric fans keep the air in con-
stant motion. There are no unpleasant
odors, and the stalls extend the full
length of the wings. The cows are so
placed that their heads are at the rows
of windows, and the air they breathe is
always pure and fresh. The floors are
all concrete. Between the rows of cows
at their rear is granitoid passage way,
affording the cows caretakers plenty OF
room to work at feeding and milking
| time.
The managers are also of concrete, and
are different from anything ever before
| designed. The walls slope toward the
| cows head, and while the tendency is
| for the animal to push the food away
| from her, the sloping walls bring it right
| back. A gate is at the cows head. 1t
| is so arranged that it may be put for
| ward or back SO as to fit the cows length
| and keep her rear hoofs on the edge of
| the floor of the stall, adjoining which is
| a gutter A chain at the back passes
| under the hollow of the cows rear legs,
preventing her from stepping into the
gutter, which slopes toward the centre.
On the Jersey farm there is cream
| cry and many other coDveniences, all OF
which will be duplicated or improved
| upon when the Worlds Fair stables are
erected for the final test.
In all former dairy tests at international
expositions the stables have not been
open to the public. At st. Louis fif-
teen foot promenade extends around the
barn, and the visitor may see every COW
and observe the feeding and milking.
A screen protects the animals, behind
which no one save the attendants can go.
Every ounce of food and water given
each COW will be carefully weighed and
a record kept.
A huge silo will be built adjoining
the stables. A field of twenty acres OF
corn is now growing near Clayton, and
this will be stored in the great silo for
food next summer. Alfalfa will also be
brought from Colorado.
Ali feeding and milking will be done
in the stables. The milk will DO turned
over to the Dairy Department and, in a
model dairy in the Palace of Agriculture,
it will be converted into butter and
cheese and a careful record of each
cows participation in the test will be
kept.
With the herd will be Flying Fox, the
famous Jersey bull, owned by Thomas
w. Lawson, of Boston. Mr.. Lawson re-
Gently refused an offer of $4,000 for the
bull.
Among the prominent Jersey cattle
breeders who have made entries are q. L.
Hood, of Lowell, Mass, and George
Vanderbilt, of Biltmore, N. Ctr ibune
i Farmer.