1778 Report of Farmers' Institutes 



Probably it i« not too nmcb to say that considering her num- 

 bers and ber almost world-wide distribution, tbe Jersey is the 

 most famous and popular of all breeds of cattle. From the 

 standpoint of the artist she is the most beautiful, and more than 

 a hundred vears as:o an Eniillsh traveler in Jersey urged their 

 importation in order than they might "ornament the parks of 

 the nobility and gentry." 



She has characteristics as well that make her a strictlv utility 

 cow and that have given her a place in almost every cowkeeping 

 country of the globe. Bred originally in a mild climate she has 

 demonstrated her fitness to the tropics, or the severe Canadian 

 winters. There is no reason for the common idea that she lacks 

 constitution. 



Her size, especially in her island home, is the smallest of the 

 four dairy breeds. Under American conditions she tends to be- 

 come larger and to lose a little of her fawn-like beauty. 



Few mature cows weigh below 700, and weights above 1,000 

 are uncommon. Experienced breeders prefer bulls ranging up 

 to 1,300 and the movement is toward greater size. The color 

 may vary through a wide range, generally known as fa^vn. Jer- 

 seys are never wdiolly white but white markings may occur. A 

 shade is found that may be called light cream, and also a very 

 dark brown sometimes called mulberry black. Squirrel grey, 

 orange fawn and lemon fawn are other descriptive terms. The 

 preferable color is solid, without definite markings, but lighest 

 along the spine, becoming darker on the belly and legs. The 

 tongue and switch are often black but not necessarily. Always 

 there is a lighter colored ring of hair around the muzzle — a very 

 persistent characteristic even in slight admixtures of Jersey blood. 



The head is lean and markedly triangular in shape as com- 

 pared with the Ilolstein. The eyes are especially prominent. The 

 horns ought not to be coarse and in some families are very light. 

 The chest is frequently too narrow and the ribs often lack spring. 

 As a rule, the Jersey hide is mellow and elastic but her secre- 

 tions are less markedly yellow than in the Guernsey. The milk 

 veins are frequently splendidly developed but poor fore udders 

 are very common. 



