50 DAIRY CATTLE AND MILK PRODUCTION 



In quantity of milk produced the Jersey, as a breed, is 

 exceeded by the Holstein, Ayrshire, and probably by the 

 Brown Swiss and Guernsey among the common dairy breeds, 

 and in England by the milking Shorthorn. On account of 

 this fact, where milk is sold by quantity alone, as is too often 

 the case with market milk, at milk condenseries and at many 

 cheese factories, the Jersey does not find her best adaptation. 



As an economical producer of butter fat the Jersey and her 

 near relative, the Guernsey, are unsurpassed. The Jersey 

 milk has the highest per cent of fat of any dairy breed com- 

 mon in this country. In economy of production of fat this 

 breed has always led where opportunity has been given to 

 make fair comparison with other breeds. The probable ex- 

 planation of this is the fact that the fat constitutes a greater 

 proportion of the total solids than it does in other breeds. 

 The most prominent and best known characteristics of Jersey 

 milk are the high per cent of fat, the pronounced yellow color, 

 and the easy creaming of the milk. The latter characteristic 

 is due to the unusually large fat globules. The large fat 

 globules also cause the fat to churn easily, which is some- 

 thing of an advantage in butter-making. The same ease of 

 churning is a slight disadvantage when the milk is to be 

 handled much, as in the market milk business, because it 

 results in small masses of butter appearing on the surface. 



In persistency of milking the Jersey ranks very high, 

 probably the highest of any breed. Cows of this breed are 

 general favorites as family cows on account of the richness 

 of their milk, its easy creaming characteristics, their per- 

 sistency of milking, their easy keeping qualities and gentle- 

 ness. The Jersey cow finds her special adaptation as a family 

 cow or as an economical producer of butter fat. In the 



