DAIRY BREEDS OF CATTLE 663 



The head and neck are comparatively heavy; the males, and quite 

 frequently the cows, carrying more or less dewlap. Well-developed udders, 

 proportionate in size to the size of body, are sought in the selection of 

 mature cows. A register of production for animals of superior merit has 

 been formed by the American Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders' Association 

 and there is a loyal effort on the part of breeders to make records that 

 will compare favorably with records of other breeds. The breed has 

 demonstrated its ability to make very profitable productions of milk and 

 butter-fat. The milk tests on the average about 4.0 per cent. The high- 

 est official yearly record for a Brown Swiss cow at the present time is 

 19,460.6 pounds of milk, testing 4.1 per cent and 798.16 pounds of butter- 

 fat. This record was made by the cow College Brauvura 2d, 2577, owned 

 by the Michigan Agricultural College, East Lansing, Mich. 



GUERNSEY CATTLE 



Origin and Development. — Guernsey cattle take their name from 

 Guernsey Island, located in the English Channel not far from France. 

 This island and two smaller ones, Alderney and Sarnia, belong to the 

 Channel Islands group, and is where the Guernsey breed originated and 

 has been developed. These islands, of which Guernsey is the largest, 

 contain only 2600 acres. On Guernsey the land is more or less hilly and 

 rough, and the farms are small and devoted exclusively to horticulture and 

 dairying. Many of the crops, such as grapes, melons and flowers, are 

 grown in greenhouses. The cattle are owned in small herds and, in order 

 to make the best use of the available pastures, are tethered or staked 

 out when allowed to graze. 



The people devote their attention to the one breed of cattle and 

 exclude all other cattle from the island, except those which may be imported 

 for immediate slaughter. The breed undoubtedly has its origin in stock 

 of early French varieties known as Brittany and Normandy cattle. The 

 production of a rich quality of high-colored milk and butter has always 

 been the principal object in breeding and developing this breed, and 

 naturally this has resulted in excellence of performance on the part of 

 well-grown cattle of the breed. 



Guernsey cattle were introduced into America early in the nineteenth 

 century, but not until 1893, when the dairy qualities of Guernsey cattle 

 were brought to the attention of the general public by records made at 

 the World's Columbian Exhibition at Chicago, did Guernsey interests 

 develop to the extent they deserved. The American Guernsey Cattle 

 Club was organized in 1877, and of late years many importations of 

 Guernsey cattle have been made and much enthusiasm has been aroused 

 on the part of dairymen in exploiting and developing the interests of the 

 breed. The breed ranks at the present time as one of the most popular. 



Characteristics of Guernsey Cattle. — The standard weight for Guern- 

 sey cows is 1050 pounds, and for bulls 1500 pounds. Standards which 



