38 



is native to the island of Jersey, the largest of the gronp 

 known as the Channel Islands, which are situated near 

 the coast of France, in the English Channel. These 

 islands are Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark ; the 

 last two being mere islets. The three first mentioned are 

 each noted for a special breed of cattle, much alike in 

 character, but yet sufficiently different to be distinct ; 

 the chief characteristic in all of tliem being remarkable 

 elegance in form and color, and exceeding richness of the 

 milk. 



Tlie island of Jersey, with a total area of about three 

 hundred square miles, contains more cows than any 

 other equally small part of the earth ; and they are 

 more highly valued than those of any other breed, averag- 

 ing probably $300 or $400 each. So many have been im- 

 ported into the United States that there are moi-e cows 

 of the breed here now than there are in Jersey — viz., 

 about 10, 000 — while the half-breds or grades, which are 

 almost as valuable as the pure breed, number perhaps 

 100,000 or more; at least they are so numerous as to be 

 seen on almost every well -managed butter dairy farm 

 in the special dairy districts. 



Several State herd records are in process of establish- 

 ment for the pure bred Jersey cattle, because the Ameri- 

 can Jersey herd book is too cumbrous for convenience, 

 from the large number of entries which have been rnade 

 in it. No other cows in existence have been so highly 

 cherished and cultivated as the Jerseys, and some of them 

 have made the most extraordinary records as butter pro- 

 ducers. The highest authorized record is that of Prin- 

 cess 2d, owned by Mr. Shoemaker, of Baltimore, Mary- 

 land ; viz., forty-nine pounds of butter in seven days. 

 Several cows are known to have produced from thirty 

 pounds in a week down to twenty-four, twenty, eighteen, 

 and sixteen pounds, and there are over a hundred cows 

 which have a certified record of fourteen pounds weekly. 



