22 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Oct. 



THE JERSEY. 



In the English Channel, a few miles off the coast of France, 

 lies the little isle of Jersey, long known as the "garden spot of the 

 world," with land at $500.00 and upward per acre and rental pro- 

 portionately high. Very small farms and extremely intensive 

 culture is the practice. 



Under these conditions where every foot of land must work and 

 every pound of forage be utilized to the greatest possible advantage 

 has been developed a breed of cattle who are a veritable mirror 

 of the people who bred them. In Jersey nearly every farmer is a 

 breeder ; not as we term breeders in America, as simply one who 

 mates together animals, but a true breeder, who has well defined 

 ideas of what he wishes to reproduce and how to attain his goal ; 

 where son follows father until in the cattle of today we can see 

 the work and handicraft of generation after generation of con- 

 certed effort toward a definite end. Is it any wonder that these 

 thrifty, careful and trained people should develop a breed of cattle 

 who are veritable specialists in converting forage into rich milk 

 and yellow butter at the least possible cost, until economical pro- 

 duction has come to be the trade-mark of the Jersey cow ? The 

 Isle of Jersey is under English tule and a Royal decree that 

 absolutely prohibits the importation of cattle of any breed except 

 for immediate slaughter has kept the breed pure and has also 

 kept out that dread scourge of the dairy world, tuberculosis (a 

 disease unknown on the island), as well as other ills that hinder 

 the best development of cattle kind in every other part of the 

 world. While a well regulated system of official inspection, com- 

 parative judging stimulated by prizes and medals for individual 

 excellence, and high yields of milk and butter in competitive tests, 

 coupled with government encouragement to breed only from the 

 best sires, together with nature's greatest quality builder, "the 

 survival of the fittest," has built up a breed of cattle phenomenal in 

 their trueness to type, longevity, and their ability to produce and 

 reproduce. 



For more than 65 years the Island of Jersey has contributed 

 of its best to the building up of the breed in America, Connecticut 

 playing the part of pioneer in this great work, even today the 

 world famous importations of Traintor and Colt are conceded to 

 have been the best possible foundation for the upbuilding of the 



