CATTLE. - 345 



breeds, and also tlie importance of studying the specific object 

 of the dairj', or of breeding and feeding animals that are espe- 

 cially adapted to secure that object. 



The Jersey cow was introduced into this country about thirty 

 years ago. She came from the Channel Islands, off the coast 

 of France, but belonging to Great Britain. The Island of Jer- 

 sey has been noted, for many years, for the great care with 

 which it has bred its cows with special reference to the produc- 

 tion of butter. Taken first to Enoland from the little island 

 of Alderney, to which the animal was transplanted from Jersey 

 just a century ago, it acquired, as a hreed^ the name of Alder- 

 ney-— a, name to which it is now little entitled, since that island 

 is but a speck in proportion to Jersey, and it is now nearly cov- 

 ered with residences, and not devoted to the raising of stock of 

 any kind. When first imptrted, the Jerse}^ cow was ill-shaped, 

 lean, and described as resembling " two boards nailed together, as 

 thin as a lath." But within the last twenty years she has been 

 quite transformed into a comely -shaped creature, with a fine 

 deer-like head and neck, delicate limbs, soft skin, and all the 

 points of a good dairy cow — with good hind quarters, less thin 

 and angular than formerly, the whole form giving promise of 

 the highest dairy qualities. 



The Jersey is by no means remarkable for the quantity of 

 milk she gives, but she holds out better than most otlier classes 

 of dairy cows, so that if she does not fill the pail in the height 

 of the season, she makes up for it by yielding a good supply of 

 milk the year round, it being often no easy matter to dry her 

 off previous to parturition. 



" Lady Miltori^^'' {Fig. 72,) is a capital model, not only of a good 

 Jersey, but of a good dairy cow; she gave her owner, Mr. 

 James C. Converse, of Arlington, Massachusetts, a yield of 

 butter which is worthy of special record. In the first Aveek of 



