36 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



The Jerseys or Alderneys, Guernseys and Swiss are justly celebrated for the production of 

 butter, while the Ayrshire, Dutch Friezian or Holstein breeds, especially the latter, are 

 noted for large yields of milk, and are admirably adapted for use in the cheese dairy. Other 

 breeds such as the Devons, Short-Horns, etc., often furnish cows of exceptionally fine 

 dairy characteristics, while individuals among the native stock will not unfrequently be 

 found, that will give astonishingly large yields of rich milk. The pure breeds are however 

 more reliable, and can be depended upon with greater certainty in transmitting their good 

 qualities than grades, but when the farmer does not feel able to procure the pure breeds, he 

 should grade up, using the best of his native or common stock as the basis. 



Classes Of Dairy Cows. It will be seen by what has been said with reference to 

 dairy breeds, that this stock may be divided into three classes, or distinct branches, viz.: 

 cows that are best adapted to the butter dairy or creamery, where the manufacture of butter 

 of the best quality is the principal object; cows that are adapted to the manufacture of cheese 

 or the production of large quantities of milk, and those that are especially adapted for 

 family use. For the first, a cow that produces milk of a very rich quality should be selected ; 

 milk in which the butter particles readily separate from the water and rise in the form of 

 thick, yellow cream on the surface. Here quality is of the first importance in the milk, and 

 quantity secondary. The milk of some cows possesses more than twice the amount of butter 

 element than others, while the color of the cream and butter will vary in a corresponding 

 degree. As a butter dairy, or creamery cow, we have good examples in the Jersey, or 

 Guernsey breed. 



For the cheese or milk dairy, the object Is generally to secure the largest quantity of 

 milk, with less reference to the quality than in the former class. Consequently the cows best 

 adapted for those whose business it is to supply milk to families in large quantities at ordinary 

 rates, the cheese factory, or for the manufacture of cheese in the farm dairy, are the large 

 milkers, of which the Dutch and Ayrshires furnish good examples. These breeds also 

 furnish butter of very good quality, and in large quantity, but are not characterized as being 

 as remarkable in this respect as the Jersey or Alderney, Guernsey and Swiss breeds. 



For family use, if rich milk and cream for the table is desired, and a docile animal that 

 loves to be petted by members of the household is wanted, we know of none better adapted 

 to the purpose than the Jersey or Guernsey cow. If a larger quantity of milk is required, 

 irrespective of quality, then some of the larger milk-yielding breeds will admirably subserve 

 the purpose. 



JERSEYS. 



THE Channel Islands have long been celebrated for cattle of superior value in the 

 production of milk rich in butter properties, it being of extraordinary quality, and 

 yielding a greater proportion of cream and butter than can be obtained from that of 

 any other breed. These islands, as is well known, are four in number, Alderney, Jersey, 

 Guernsey, and Sark, lying near the coast of France, and have been described as resembling 

 &quot; bits of France that have drifted out to sea.&quot; The breeds of cattle of these several islands 

 are similar, although the Guernsey differs more from the common type, and resembles in 

 many respects the Normandy races, while the Alderney closely resembles certain of the 

 Norway breeds. The largest of this Channel Island group is Jersey, it being about twelve 

 miles in length and five in breadth. From here the largest numbers of these cattle have 

 been thus far imported to the United States; hence, this breed are now more generally 

 known in this country by the name of &quot;Jersey,&quot; although in. Britain they are commonly 

 called &quot;Alderney.&quot; 



