528 Transactions of the 



twenty-four are said to have black switches, and only one to have a black 

 tongue; only forty-live are of solid color, or nearly so. These indica- 

 tions, as well as the oilier markings, such as white switches or white 

 patches, are not considered as points of excellence, but obviously only 

 as distinguishing marks. 



Even at that time do especial importance was attached in Jersey to 

 the question of color, which is, without doubt, a dealer's question. It is 

 no slight matter to teach a novice what constitutes a good cow, nor, 

 after he is taught, is it always easy to supply his requirements. It is 

 easy to tell him (as he has been told) that solid color is the "correct 

 thing;" that a black switch has an elegant look; and that a bull with a 

 black tongue is more likely to perpetuate the leading merits of his race 

 than is one with a white one; and having adopted this as his standard, 

 he becomes capital game for the dealers, for the market at St. Ileliers 

 furnishes a good supply of semi worthless brutes having the desired 

 color, and purchasable at very low prices — not, let me again insist, that 

 all or a very large proportion of the solid-colored animals are worthless 

 brutes; but that if a Jersej' farmer happens to have one of these which 

 is worthless, he knows that he will find a ready demand for it at the 

 Saturday market in St. Heliers. 



A farmer in Jerse}* being asked his opinion on this subject, said: "My 

 experience is that the light-colored cows are apt to be the best, and I 

 always keep two with plenty of white about them for the dairy, and 

 two without any white to sell calves from." 



This question of color has been much harped upon during the past 

 three or four years, and its extended treatment here has been at the 

 risk of tiring the reader; but it seems a question of such vital import- 

 ance, and, unless rightly decided, to forebode such disaster to our future 

 breeding, that its consideration could not properly be avoided. 



FORM. 



Another matter of no little importance in connection with the 

 influence of the foreign demand on the breeding in the Island of Jersey, 

 is that of form, ami here the American market has practically no 

 influence; the great sale is to England, and the standard there set up 

 seems to be entirely based upon the desire to take prizes at agricultural 

 shows. England, with all its virtues and all its charms, has the great 

 defect of seeing merit too often in mere size. The great, hulking, 

 Short-horn steer, fattened to a disgusting degree of grossness, is Eng- 

 land's beau ideal of the bovine race, and the Short-horn standard is that 

 which seems to fill the eye of the whole agricultural community. The 

 almost universal criticism of the Jerseys has been that they were lean, 

 scrawri}', and misshapen; and what are called the successful breeders — 

 l. e., those whose Jerseys carry off the decorations — endeavor to catch 

 the eye of the jmlges by molding their cattle as nearly as possible to 

 the Short-horn shape. Judging from the descriptions given of the 

 prize-takers during the past few years, they must have been more like 

 miniature Short-horns than anything we know as butter-yielding 

 Jerseys. 



In the Country Gentleman of February twelfth, eighteen hundred and 

 seventy-four, there is a communication from C. L. Sharpless, detailing 

 his observations in England in the Summer of eighteen hundred and 

 seventy-three. From this I make the following extracts: 



