32 PROFITABLE DAIRYING 



than a century since a law was passed which pre- 

 vented, under heavy penalty, the importation of any 

 cow or bull. The authentic purity of this breed ex- 

 cels, in point of time, that of all others of English 

 origin. 



About 1840 some specimens of this breed, called 

 " Alderneys," were brought to the United States. 

 Authorities differ as to the identity of the Alderney 

 with the Jersey. Whatever difference may formerly 

 have existed, they are to-day merged under the name 

 of Jersey. Those imported at an early date did not 

 differ materially in form and appearance from those 

 known to-day as the Jersey. In 1860 Jerseys were 

 first imported in considerable numbers. From that 

 time until the nineties there were large importations, 

 nearly 2,000 being exported annually from the island, 

 the majority coming to the United States. At the 

 present time most of the increase in this country 

 comes from domestic breeding. Acclimatization has, 

 to a degree, improved the hardihood of the breed. 

 To-day better animals are produced from domestic 

 breeding than have ever been imported. 



The true Jersey breeder has never sought to in- 

 crease the flow of milk at the cost of quality. The 

 animals have been bred to preserve their butter-fat 

 producing attributes, although quantity has not been 

 entirely lost sight of. The butter-fat globule of the 

 Jersey is large and uniform in size, or at least more 

 nearly so than that of most other breeds. As a result 

 it creams readily by either the gravity or centrifugal 

 method. The average butter production of this breed, 

 under fairly favorable conditions, will exceed 300 

 pounds per cow. In weight the Jersey cow varies 



