The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1908-04-16
THE JERSEY BREED.
Interesting History of One Of the Most
Famous Cattle.

So SA'onS Nv w VIZ hioiCo ns LCtCoodIJ
to continue the race. When the cows
of this breed are pregnant we hope
they will drop US heifer calf merely
saying that III of the first Importance
to select and use the males from the
best producing dams. We dismiss this
side of the subject. Facts bear us out
in the statement that Jersey COWS, both
singly and collectively, hold the worlds
record for amount of butter produced
from given amount of feed. Their
mission in this world seems to depend
almost solely on their tactical qualities.
The home of the Jerseys, the Island
of Jersey, lies in the English Channel,
only thirteen miles from the Coast of
France. High, rocky cliffs bound it's
north shore, from which the land
slopes in southerlyidirection to the sea
Its total area is less than two congress
sional townships in the United States
some 50,000. So marvellous is its ferti]i-
ty and the mildness of its climate that
as many as three crops in year can be
taken from the soil All the energies of
its people are given to raising Jersey
cattle and vegetables. Out of it's soil
alone this little island supports 0,000
inhabitants or more than one to each
acre of it's area. So intense in the style
of it's farming that the yearly rental OF
its lands is from $50 to 800 per acre.
Small as it is there are 1000 land own
ers, tn holdings varying from
three to thirty acres. Extensive pas
lures therefore cannot exist and land
and grass are so valuable that cattle
are never permitted to roam at large.
From time immemorial the custom has
been to tether all animals and they are
moved several times aday. They are
always led instead of being driven and
the handling is largely done by women
The cows remain out f doors Tie great
/ er part of the year and are often mike d
in the fields. Very little grain is fed,
but in addition to grass and hay tie
cattle are literally supplied with roots
chiefly parsnips, which are largely
grown for this purpose. Under these
conditions race of highly organized
and gentle cattle has been developed.
| 1t is at the same time race of inner
ent constitutional vigor and in its island
home free from disease.
A few Jersey cattle under the name
of Attorney were brought to this coun.
try about 1910. The real Attorney is a
larger animal than the Jersey by some
200 pounds, varying in color from q
light red to dark brown. While deep
rich milk ers, they have not equaled
the records of the Jerseys. About the
year 1860 there were large importa
tions of Jerseys, and by 1870 as many
as two thousand animals year were
imported to this country. Jerseys have
been so largely imported, have in
creased so rapidly and have been Sc
largely used for grading and proved
adaptable to so wide range of climate
that the characteristic markings of the
breed can be seen in the daries from
the st. Lawrence to the Gulf and from
ocean to ocean
So remarkable has been this transfer
that there is now in the United States
five Jersey cows to one in their native
island and the home of the Jersey is il
this colnry. No breed of cattle could
have achieved such universal popular.
ity unless they had possessed extra
ordinary merit. On feature of this is
their handsome appearance. The head
Of the Jersey is small, short, broad and
lean; the muzzel, ircluding under lip, is
black, or dark lead color, surrounded
by mealy fillet of light hair and shin
the eyes are wide apart. large, bright
and prominent. In fact, with it's del
cate ears and small neck and waxy
horns, no animal so much reminds you
of deer as high bred Jersey The
skin itself is of a deep yellow tint, mel
low and loose, with fine silky hair
They have great power of digestion and
are seldom sick OF their feed.
Their milk has less water and more
solid contents, than the milk of any
other breed, often testing per cent OF
butter fat. Their entire milk Is as rich
as the cream of some other cows Two
places they occupy without rival-as
family and butter COWS. The breeders
OF this country, with our ample and
cheap feeds, have brought the COWS OF
this breed to higher state of devel-
opment then they ever knew on their
native land. They have increased their
size and added to their milking capaci-
ty until the time has come that when
our Jersey breeders wish to to better
their herds they no longer go to the
old island, but seek the improved herds