90 



years, and the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture 

 imported several from 1839 to 1844. For the same Society I 

 selected and shipped eleven heifers and four bulls in 1859, all of 

 which arrived safely in this country. I also sent -with them eight 

 head of the same breed, for different gentlemen in this State. In 

 1859 I selected and shipped to H. H. Peters, Esq., of Southboro', 

 twenty-three head of Ayrshires, which with those obtained for 

 him the previous year, and their descendants, make the number 

 of his herd thirty, at this time. 



Most of those of the importation of 1858 and 1859, are young, 

 but few of them having bred at the time they were imported. 

 Hence it will require several years to determine their actual char- 

 acter in regard to what they are capable of doing here. 



The Jersey or Alderxey Breed takes its name from a group 

 of islands (Jersey, Alderney, and Guernsey) in the English Chan- 

 nel, and is hence sometimes called the Channel Islands breed. 

 These cattle are supposed to have come originally from the French 

 coast, and they certainly bear considerable resemblance to those 

 of Normandy. Indeed they were formerly called the " Alderney 

 or Normandy breed." The writer has seen men who had been 

 engaged in selecting cows in Normandy which were sold in Eng- 

 land as of the Guernsey breed. The Channel Islands cows are 

 distinguished for the richness of their milk and the superior qual- 

 ity of the butter it affords. The quantity of butter is also large 

 in proportion to the size of the cow. The old stock of all the 

 islands was delicate in constitution, and the shape of many of them 

 was ragged and uncouth — as Col. Le Couteur says, in his essay 

 on the Jersey cow, pubhshed in the Journal of the Royal Agricul- 

 tural Society, they were " Meg Merrilies of cows." 



The Alderneys were introduced here upwards of thirty years 

 ao-o, and were at one time quite common at the country seats of 

 gentlemen around Boston ; but they generally failed for want of 

 hardiness. The improved Jersey is claimed to be superior to the 

 Alderney and Guernsey. A society which was established for 

 the improvement of these cattle has existed in Jersey for many 

 years. According to Le Couteur, the shape and constitution of 

 the breed have been much improved by proper selections through 

 many generations, Avhile something has been gained in the quan^ 

 tity of butter in proportion to the food consumed. This improved 

 stock has been considerably introduced into this country, particu- 

 larly into this State and Connecticut ; but sufficient time has not 

 elapsed since their introduction to justify a positive opinion in 

 re""ard to their success here. Tliey are evidently more hardy 

 than the old Alderney stock ; their hides are generally thicker, 

 though frequently too thin ; they have better forms, and their 

 fattening tendency is increased, though not generally to a degree 



