252 



Mildeio. — Tlie Jersey Coiv. 



Vol. V 



jured wheat being more forward in fillingr 

 than the other, for the whole mischief takes 

 place in a few days, perhaps a few hours; 

 and where the grain has received the requi- 

 site supply of nutriment the circulation is di- 

 minished or suspended, and there is no dan- 

 ger of injury from the canals breaking their 

 banks and overflowing. 



The grain in the same inclosure is often 

 partially injured ; in low and damp spots, or 

 where it is lodged, for want of the requisite 

 circulation of the air to dissipate the moisture, 

 the injury is great from mildew ; when in the 

 higher and drier parts of the same field, it is 

 protected from injury, by a freer circulation 

 preventing the mischief by carrying ofi^ the 

 excess of moisture and promoting a healthy 

 transpiration from the plants. 



The elasticity of plants favours their being 

 put in motion by the wind, and this no doubt 

 increases the circulation of the sap, in the 

 same way that motion in animals promotes 

 the circulation of the blood ; and, at the same 

 time, it favours the evaporation of moisture 

 and promotes a healthy condition. On this 

 principle, it is supposed that good may arise 

 from passing a rope extended across the 

 ridges of wheat in such manner as to com- 

 municate motion to the stalks, and in some 

 measure dissipate the excess of moisture on 

 the principle o? fanning, as has been recom- 

 mended by some writers on the subject of 

 mildew. But perhaps the most effectual plan 

 of guarding against this fatal disease would 

 be to seek for and sow only the earliest va- 

 rieties of wheat, which fill before the season 

 arrives most likely to be accompanied by that 

 condition which is the cause of the injury. 



Agricola. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Cabinet. 



The Jersey Cow. 



Sir, — 1 am much pleased with the pretty, 

 meek-looking animal, at page 153 of the 

 Cabinet, for December — the exact likeness of 

 one in the possession of my excellent friend 

 Paschall Morris, of Allerton, whose character 

 for butter bids fair to rival some of those in- 

 dividuals of which we have read and heard 

 so much. And I can bear my testimony to 

 the value of that breed for the dairy, for I 

 too have kept them for that purpose many 

 years ; but I could not find that they con- 

 sumed more food in proportion than other cat- 

 tle, while their convenient size, especially in 

 their stalls, where they were soiled with 

 green and root-crops the greatest portion of 

 the year, was found very much more desira- 

 ble than larger animals : with regard to the 

 richness of their milk, there have not, I be- 

 lieve, ever been two opinions on the subject. 



The docility of the Jersey cow is pro- 

 verbial — so also is, unfortunately, the ferocity 

 of the Jersey bull, although to appearance, 

 he is mildness itself. I remember a friend 

 bringing thirty-six of these beautiful cowa 

 and two bulls into Wales, direct from the 

 Island of Jersey; and, wishing to increase 

 the hardiness of the breed, to enable them the 

 better to bear the climate of that country, he 

 selected a number of the handsomest heifers 

 from a drove of Scotch Kyloe cattle, just 

 brought upon the mountains, and crossed thera 

 with the Jersey bull. The calves from these 

 were permitted to follow their dams on their 

 pasture during the whole year, and grew up 

 the most beautiful creatures imaginable ; 

 hardy as they, but from the day of their 

 birth they exhibited a wildness of disposition 

 far beyond that of their dams, or of any other 

 breed upon the mountains. It was attempted 

 to rear a bull of this cross, but at a year old 

 he was so wild, that a look from a person go- 

 ing into tiie field where he was kept, would 

 send him" over the wall, five feet in height, 

 as fleet as a deer ! The steers and heifers 

 of this cross were quite ferocious, and al- 

 though they were fatted in stalls, could never 

 be approached with safety until they were 

 tied, which was often the work of two men. 

 In attempting to secure one of these in a 

 yard, he took a leap at a shed, mounted the 

 roof and leaped from it on the other side like 

 mad : and, at the time of slaughtering, it was 

 found necessary to shoot one of the steers in 

 the stable, no one daring to approach him. 

 The beef was black and liery, with a disa- 

 greeable taste, very muscular, with little fat, 

 although they were " sweet handlers," as the 

 butcher termed it. The Jersey bull, the sire 

 of these heifers and steers, after pasturing in 

 the fields with the dairy cows, turned fero- 

 cious and gored his keeper so dreadfiilly, that 

 his life was for some time in great danger, 

 nor could he have escaped, had not the bull 

 tossed him clean over the fence of the field !* 

 So there was an end of crossing Scotch hei- 

 fers with the Jersey bull; had the experi- 

 ment been made on Jersey cows by a Kyloe 

 bull, there is reason to believe the desired 

 end would have been accomplished. 



But by this experiment of bringing the 

 pure-bred Jersey cattle into a different coun- 

 try and climate, it was proved that they were 

 as able to bear the climate of the hills as those 

 of other breeds ; so it is an error to suppose 

 they are less hardy than other stock — for with 

 common care and food, they improved so as to 

 command from 130 to 150 dollars each, at the 

 time of sale. 



The expense and risk of importing cattle 



*The animiil was found, a few days after, dead in 

 his pasture, having been slwt by some person unknown. 



