122 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The farms are usually quite small, ranging from two to fifteen 

 acres with a few as high as fifty or sixty acres. As showing the 

 products of a Jersey farm the following is from the pen of Le Cornu, 

 on the "Agriculture of the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey and 

 Alderne}'." 



He says a farm of twenty acres will, with few exceptions be dis- 

 tributed as follows : "Hay and pasture, 10 acres ; turnips, 2 acres ; 

 mangolds, 1 acre ; parsnips, 1 acre ; carrots, | acre ; potatoes, 2 

 acres ; wheat, 3J acres. 



The stock usuall}' kept will consist of two horses, six cows, six 

 heifers and eight pigs. The farmer generally depends upon the 

 mcBtbers of his family to do the work, the men attending to the 

 crops and the women to the cows. The main source of his income 

 is from his cows. He grows wheat enough for his bread, but the 

 butter and •alves must bring in money enough to pay a high rent, from 

 £4 to £15 per acre, and in some cases even as high as £40 per acre 

 and other expenses. The average rental for the whole Island is £9 

 per acre. It is mainl}- for his cattle that all these turnips, parsnips, 

 carrots and mangolds are grown. 



The population of the Island is very dense, about two to the acre, 

 forming one of the most complete colonies of small gentility possible 

 to conceive, and who have preserved to this day, their ancient forms 

 through all the disturbances of eight centuries." 



This indicates settled habits that must be highly conducive to the 

 formation of special breeds of animals. If the Jerse\- cow as we 

 now find her, originated on the Island or Jersey, we must then look 

 closely to her home surroundings for the source of her present 

 characteristics. We believe, with Col. Waring that the Jersey cow 

 is the product of the Island of Jersey — of its sml. its t-limate, its 

 system of agriculture, the circumstances of its turmets, and the 

 needs of the dense population there concentrated. 



All classes and breeds of animals are the results of conditions, 

 treatment and lood. The Jersey is no exception to this rule. In 

 her Island home with its dense population, her owner was forced to 

 practice the strictest economy in order to pay the average annual 

 rental of over forty dollars for every acre occupied. Ever}- farmer 

 of necessity became a butter dairyman — the great city of London 

 readily consuming the product. In his business and life, he had no 

 place for a show cow, but as the hungry need bread, so he needed 



