THE CHANNEL ISLANDS BREEDS. 



have been to the journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of Eng- 

 land. In Appleton's journal, 1770, however the (following description 

 is to be found of the Channel Islands : 



" In a deep bay of the north-west coast of France, lies ai cluster of 

 rocky islets, but little visited by the outlying world. They are in- 

 teresting from their peculiar position, geographically, historically, and 

 artistically. Only four o.f these are inhabited : Sark, by one family 

 and their dependents ; Alderney, by the Government officers of the 

 harbor of refuge, and a few fishermen ; Guernsey, by a thriving sea- 

 faring population ; and Jersey, by one of the most complete colonies 

 of small gentility possible to conceive. The soil is very rich, and this 

 is borne out by the remarkable fact that there are two inhabitants 

 to every acre." 



This should be an important object lesson to those who are in- 

 terested in the rich dairying lands of the South Coast of New South 

 Wales. 



In Jersey, horned cattle constitute the mainstay of agriculture ; 

 it is that upon which the farmer chiefly depends for money to pay 

 his rents, &c. The animal known in England and elsewhere under the 

 name of Alderney is not in the true sense of the term an Alderney ; 

 the reason for the breed going under that name is that from that 

 island the first were exported to England. At present but few are 

 exported but from Alderney and St. Helliers. 



Mr. Willis P. Hazard, who is recognised by some breeders as. a 

 most reliable authority, says : " In form the Je'rsey cow is deer-like 

 and small in size, the color mostly prized are light fawn and dark 

 fawn, the brown, and orange fawn. Brindled specimens are to be 

 seen, but they are not at all valued, and may be purchased extremely 

 cheap." 



The outline history of the breed is this : In the year 1789 the Jer- 

 sey cattle were already considered so good, so superior to any then 

 known, that an Act of the local Legislature was passed by which the 

 importation into Jersey of cow, bull, heifer, or calf was prohibited, 

 under a very heavy penalty. Later laws, being equally stringent, the 

 Jersey must be extensively interbred. 



Mr. David Hyam, of Nowra, Shoalhaven, a recognised 

 authority on the Jersey cow, says there are three distinct 

 colors, viz., silver-fawn, dark-fawn, and lemon-fawn. The first- 

 named is the most fashionable for show purposes, and 

 generally carry off the prizes when competing, although 

 he had often found that the dark and lemon-fawns are equal 

 for dairying purposes. Cows, however, of the breed, of whatever 

 colour, should be without any mixture of white, as, in his opinion, 

 they showed a cross perhaps generations back. During his experi- 

 ence of over twenty years, he had not, in one instance, known where 



a pure-bred bull and cow had been mated, that their progeny had 

 shown white. He says he had often heard of broken colored cows 

 and bulls being pure, but, from his experience, he had great doubts; 

 in fact, was almost certain that mixed or broken-coloured Jerseys 



were not pure-bred. 



He further remarked that in judging Jersey cattle the principal 

 points that should be looked to are: A good escutcheon, without this a 

 cow cannot have a good udder, nor produce good milk. The back 

 should be straight, and the hips wide .apart, the pelvis arch high, and 

 well-formed ; rump evenly formed and of good length, tail well set, 

 fine and long ; barrel hooped, deep and well-ribbed up ; back, broad, 

 dished ; throat clean ; eyes full, with a kind expression ; horns, small 

 across the loins; wither, line with flat shoulders; head, small and 

 dished ; throat clean ; eyes full, with a kind expression; horns small 



I 129. 



