168 CATTLE AND DAIRY FARMING. 



Decrease of stock. Binderpest or foot and mouth disease has never 

 appeared in the island. The decrease is owing to the great number 

 exported of late years to America, where the breed is highly prized. 



Price. From $200 to some thousands, according to pedigree. 



Topography. The surface of the island is everywhere undulating. 

 The -high land consists, for the most part, of granite rocks ; the south- 

 ern part, of a mass of schistose rocks incumbent upon granite. 



Temperature. The climate of Jersey from its insular situation is 

 milder than that of other places under the same latitude, and the mean 

 temperature, which is 53, is higher than that of any part of England. 

 In summer it is 61, and in winter 42. 



AYRSHIRE CATTLE. 



This breed is found in Ayrshire, Scotland (whence it derives its name), 

 and the adjacent portion of the Lowlands. It is an admirable breed of 

 milch cattle, rather under the middle size, but hardy, and yielding ex- 

 cellent milk in large quantities. 



Description and color. The improved cow has the head small, but 

 rather long and narrow at the nozzle, though the space between the 

 roots of the horns is considerable; the horns are small and crooked; the 

 eye is clear and lively ; the neck long and slender .and almost destitute 

 of a dewlap ; the shoulders are thin and the forequarters generally light; 

 the back is straight and broad behind, especially across the hips, which 

 are roomy; the tail is long and thin; the carcass is deep ; the udder 

 capacious and square ; the milk vein large and prominent ; the limbs 

 are small and short, but well knit ; the thighs are thin ; the skin is rather 

 thin, but loose and soft and covered with short hair ; the general figure, 

 though small, is well proportioned ; the prevailing color is mottled red 

 and white. 



Age at maturity : Four to five years. 

 ILowloti'j bred pure: One hundred years. 



Product. A good cow will yield from 9,000 to 10,000 pounds milk. 

 This milk is calculated to return about 250 pounds butter or 500 pounds 

 cheese per year. 



Treatment. The cows are treated by enterprising farmers as fol- 

 lows : They are kept constantly in the byre (or shed) till the grass 

 has risen to afford them a full bite. Many put them out every good 

 day through the winter and spring, but they poach the ground with 

 their feet and rip up the young grass as it begins to spring, which, 

 as they have not a full meal, injures the cattle. Whenever the weather 

 becomes dry and hot the cows are fed on cut grass in the byre from 

 in the morning to 6 in the evening and turned out to pasture the other 

 hours; when rain comes the house feeding is discontinued ; when pas- 

 ture grass begins to fail in harvest they receive a supply of the second 

 growth of clover, and afterwards of turnips strewed over the pasture 

 ground ; when the weather becomes stormy iu the fall of the year tho 



