THE DAIRY BREEDS OF CATTLE 267 



The Jerseys have been much used for grading on native 

 cows to increase milk- and butter-production. Carefully 

 selected bulls may be used for this purpose with very 

 satisfactory results as the Jersey blood is very prepotent. 



301. Feeding and care. Jerseys have a capacity for 

 assimilating large quantities of food and may be forced 

 to advantage when in full flow of milk, as all extra food, 

 in such case, is converted into milk. When the milk-flow 

 begins to slacken, the food should be reduced, especially 

 the concentrates. The Jerseys are large eaters of rough- 

 age and succulent feeds, as roots. 



On the Island the method of caring for the cows has 

 been the same for nearly two hundred years. In the 

 summer they are tethered in meadows and pastures, and 

 in the winter are warmly housed at night. The same care 

 should be taken in the management of Jerseys in this 

 country. They should have plenty of pasture to run on 

 in the summer, and they should not be confined in the 

 winter in day-time except in very cold and inclement 

 weather. They should be treated kindly, as they have 

 ever been on the Island. Nervous cows should be excluded 

 from the herd, as well as those giving small quantities of 

 milk, and those not persistent in their milk. 



At one time the Jersey was supposed to be delicate, but 

 the American breed of cows at this time seems to be con- 

 stitutionally as strong as any other dairy breed, and not 

 more subject to disease than other cattle, with possibly 

 the exception of milk fever. But since the air treat- 

 ment for this disease has been used, this heretofore dreaded 

 affliction need no longer be considered a dangerous disease. 



302. Distribution. The Jersey is very widely dis- 

 tributed, due to its wide adaptation to conditions. As has 

 been said, it is scattered through the United States and 



