1858.] SENATE— No. 4. 39 



hind quarters, and generally poor appearance behind, meet many 

 objections among those who have been accustomed to prize full- 

 ness of form and square hind quarters. 



It is asserted by Col. Le Couteur, of the Island of Jersey, that, 

 contrary to the general opinion here, the Jersey cow, when old 

 and no longer wanted as a milker, will, when dry and fed, fatten 

 rapidly, and produce a far greater quantity of butcher's meat, 

 than is supposed. An old cow, he says, was put up to fatten in 

 October, 1850, weighing 1,125 lbs., and when killed the 6th of 

 January, 1851, she weighed 1,330 lbs., having gained 205 lbs. in 

 ninety-eight days, on 20 lbs. of hay, a little wheat straw, and 30 

 lbs, of roots, consisting of carrots, Swedes and mangold wurzel, 

 a day. The prevailing opinion here is based on the general 

 appearance of the cow in milk, no experiments having been 

 made, to my knowledge, and no opportunity to form a correct 

 judgment from actual observation having been furnished ; and 

 it must be confessed that the general appearance would amply 

 justify the conclusion. 



The common practice of allowing heifers to take the bull at a 

 year old or little over, can hardly be too strongly condemned. 

 It checks the growth of the animal, unless she is kept dry dur- 

 ing the third year, which is not apt to be the case, and otherwise 

 injures her constitution. 



With respect to the profit of crossing our common stock with 

 the Jersey, too few experiments have as yet been made to afford 

 correct data on which to form an opinion. In a case of my own, 

 the Jersey bull and a grade Ayrshire cow have produced a 

 heifer, now two years old, which for beauty of form, docility of 

 disposition, and quantity and richness of milk, can with difficulty 

 be surpassed ; but one experiment proves nothing, and a series 

 of careful observations are needed to settle it conclusively. 



As working oxen, there is no reason to suppose they would 

 be at all superior, nor indeed equal to the common stock of the 

 country, and they cannot, therefore, be recommended on that 

 ground. 



Yet notwithstanding the current of opinion is strongly against 

 them so far as their adaptation to the farmers' wants is con- 

 cerned, their numbers have largely increased among us, and 

 there will be opportunity for the farmer to satisfy himself with 

 regard to the Jerseys, if he wishes to try them. In 1853 there 



