The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-06-10
THE JERSEY cow AT HOME.

The Island of Jersey, in the Eng
lish Channel, between France and
England, is the home Of the Jersey
but the origin of these cattle is un-
known. Before the beginning of the
nineteenth century the characteristics
ofJersey cattle were pronounced, and
were generally recongnized, especial
ly in their adaptabillity for butter
making. The people of Jersey evident
ly decided, many years ago, that they
were in possession of a valuable breed
of cattle, for in 1886 their Legislature
passed an act prohibiting the impor-
tation of foregin- n-bred cattle, imposing
a heavy fine in money for any breach
of this law, as we'll as forfeiture ofthe
vessel employed, and providing for
a fine on every member of a ships
crew who should fail to notify
the authorities of any attempt to
evade the law. Subsequent laws
have been equally stringent, and no
cattle are imported into the Island of
Jersey, except those intended for i'm
mediate slaughter. In 1894 efforts
to improve the breed were begun in
Jersey by the Jersey Agricultural So
ciety. A scale of points was drawn
up to guide in the selection of ami
mails for breeding purposes. The
great principal aim of the Island
of Jersey breeders had always
been good yield of butter, and from
the time mentioned above there has
been, combined with this, consider
able attention paid to conformation
and general beauty. Jersey cattle
have always possessed the deer-like
head and limbs, the fine crumpled
horns, the yellow skin, large, soft
eyes lean throat and neck, light pro-
portions and fine tail but above all
else, they have attracted notice for
their large and well-formed udders and
and prominent milk veins. In color
they are of various shades of soft
fawn, from red to silvery, with
more or less white.
The Jersey farmer tries to have
his cows calve during the first three
months of the year. They are hous-
ed at night during the winter, being
brought in about four o'clock in the
afternoon, when they are MIXED,
each receiving about three quarters
of bushel of roots and some hay.
At eight o'clock bundle of straw is
given to each. In the morning they
are MIXED and fed about six o'clock
again receiving the same allowance
of roots and hay, and at nine are
turned out to pasture. Farmers en-
deavor to dry their cows about a
mouth or six weeks before calving.
Bran mashes are given them about
the time of calving and for fort
night thereafter, the only time this
food is used.
The bull calves intended for veal
are fed the milk of their dams for
about six weeks. Heifer calves are
always reared. About two weeks af-
ter calving, the cows are turned out
on grass during the daytime, if the
weather be fine, the general custom
being to tether them. About every
three hours they are moved and teth-
cred in a fresh spot. They are wa
tered in the morning and also at
noon, and in warm weather again
in the evening. From May to Oc-
tober they are allowed to remain
out at night. During the summer
cows are often MIXED three times
day, and during warm weather are
brought into the stable for few hours
during the heat of the day. In the
fall, butter is made and crooked for
winter use. A COW is in her prime at
six years of age, and is considered to
remain so until ten years old.
AN ALL round wag placed the fol-