PART II. DAIRYI 



I. DAIRY COWS. 



ON THE ORIGIN AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE 

 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE. 



I. Jersey Cattle. 



The origin of the Jersey cattle, like many of our other 

 improved breeds of live-stock, is not known with cer- 

 tainty. The theory is that they dcsccr.d from cattle 

 brought from the Scandinavian countries to Normand;, 

 France, during the tenth century or before, whence thcv 

 were introduced into the Island of Jersey:, off the French 

 coast. The breed has been kept pure on this' Fttle island 

 for a longer period than any othjr English breeds, as a 

 result of the enactment in 1789 of a law forbidding im- 

 portations of foreign cattle into the, island. According to 

 Flint, Jerseys were first imported into this country about 

 1838, but heavy importations did not begin until after 1S50. 



The following is a description of typical Jersey cows: 

 Head fine and tapering; cheek small; throat clean; the 

 muzzle fine and encircled with a slight stri})c; the nostril 

 high and open; the horns smooth, crumpled, not very 

 thick at the base, tapering, and tipped with black; ears 

 small and thin, deep orange color inside; eyes full and 

 placid; neck straight and fine; chest broad and deep; bar- 

 rel hooped, broad and deep, well ribbed up; back straight 

 from the withers to the hip, and from the top of the hip 

 to the setting on of the tail; tail fine, ai right angles with 

 the back, and hanging down to the hod s; skin thin, light 

 color, and mellow, covered with fine toft hair; foielegs 

 short, straight and fine below the knee, ami swelling and 

 full above; hind quarters long and well filled; hind legs 



