CATTLE. 103 



At the present time tliere are several breeders in the State of New 

 York who are turning their attention to the Ayrshires. The principal 

 stocks known to the writer are those of E. V. Prentice, near Albany; 

 L. G. Morris, Fordham, Westchester county ; and J. C. Tiffany, Coxsackie. 

 Of these Mr. Prentice's comprises the largest number, over twenty 

 head. They have been derived from the imported cow Ayr, the im- 

 portations of Mr. Ward, Captain Randall, Mr. Lawson, and Mr. Shurt- 

 leff, of Massachusetts, and one or two other imported animals. 



The Aldei'n?ys or Jerseys. — The Jersey cow is a singularly dociie and 

 S^entie animal; the male, on the contrary, is apt to become fierce after 

 two years of age. In those bred on the heights of St. Ouen, St. Brelade, 

 and St. Mary, there is a hardiness and sound constitution that enables 

 them to meet even a Scotch winter without injury; those bred in the 

 low grounds and rich pastures are of larger carcass, but are more deli- 

 cate in constitution. 



Of the ancient race it was stated, perhaps with truth, that it had no 

 tendency to fatten ; indeed some cows of the old breed were so ungainly, 

 high-boned, and ragged in form — Meg Merriliesof cows — that no attempt 

 to fatten them might succeed, the great quantities of milk and cream 

 which they produced probably absorbing all their fattening properties. 



Yet careful attention to crossing has greatly remedied this defect. 

 By having studied the h ibits of a good cow with a little more ten- 

 dency to fatten than others, and crossing her with a fleshy, well-con- 

 ditioned bull, of a race that was also known to produce quality and 

 quantity of butter — the next generation has proved of a rounder form, 

 with a tendency to make fat, without having lost the butyraceous 

 nature. 



Some of these improved animals have fattened so rapidly while being 

 stall-fed, from the month of December to March, as to suffer in parturi- 

 tion, when both cow and calf have been lost; to prevent which it is in- 

 dispensable to lower the condition of the cow, or bleed, in good time. 

 Such animals will fatten rapidly. Their beef is excellent; the only de- 

 fect being in the color of the fat, which is sometimes too yellow. It is 

 now a fair question, whether the improved breed may not fatten as 

 rapidly as any breed known. 



It was anciently thought that the cream from the Jersey cow was 

 too rich for making cheese. Mr. Le Feuvre, of La Houge, who has a 

 fine breed of cows, tried the experiment two years since, and succeeded 

 to admiration. It was made from the pure milk, cream and all, as it 

 comes from the cow. It was found that the quantity of milk that would 

 have produced a pound of butter, afibrded one pound and a half of 

 cheese. 



From the quantity of milk which produced a cheese of twenty pounds' 

 weight, the drainings' oi \\\q curds and whey, on being churned, yielded 

 four pounds of butter. This butter was of an inferior quality when 

 eaten with bread, but was superior to any other for the making of pastry; 

 it was peculiarly hard, and of excellent texture for such nse in the hot 

 weather. The writer has tasted cheeses from Mr. Le Feuvre's farm 

 quite equal in quality to the richest double-Glo'ster. 



On one or two farms, besides General Fouzel's, butter is made from 



