436 



NEW ENGLAND FAK]\IER. 



Sept. 



^.;rJTt^^'^'^'' 



AN IMPORTED JEKSiDY COW. 



The Jersey cattle are receiving considerable 

 attention at this time. Mr. Jennings says, 

 "the race is supposed to have been originally 

 derived from Normandy, in the northern part 

 of France. The cows have been long cele- 

 brated for the production of very rich milk 

 and cream, but till within the last twenty-five 

 or thirty years they were comparatively coarse, 

 ugly, and ill-shaped. Improvements have been 

 very marked, but the form of the animal is 

 still far from satisfying the eye. 



The head of the pure Jersey is fine and 

 tapering, the cheek small, the throat clean, the 

 muzzle fine and encircled with a light stripe, 

 the nostril high and open ; the horns smooth, 

 crumpled, but not very thick at the base, ta- 

 pering and tipped with black ; ears small and 

 thin, deep orange color inside ; eyes full and 

 placid ; neck straight and fine ; chest broad 

 and deep ; barrel hoofed, broad and deep, 

 well ribbed up ; back straight from the withers 

 to the hip, and from the top of the hip to the 

 setting of the tail ; tail fine, at right angles 

 with the back, and hanging down to the hocks ; 

 skin thin, light color, and mellow, covered 

 with fine soft hair ; fore legs short, straight 

 and fine below tlie knee, arm swelling and full 

 above ; hind quarters long and well filled ; 



hind legs short and straight below the hocks, 

 with bones rather fine, squarely placed, and 

 not too close together ; hoofs small : udder 

 full in size, in line with the belly, extending 

 well up behind ; teats of medium size, squarely 

 placed and wide apart, and milk-veins very 

 prominent. The color is generally cream, 

 dun, or yellow, with more or less of white, 

 and the fine head and neck give the cows and 

 heifers a fawn-like appearance, and make them 

 objects of attraction in the park ; but the hind 

 quarters are often too narrow to work well, 

 particularly to those who judge animals by the 

 amount of fat which they carry." 



Mr. Flint says, "the opinions of practical 

 men diifer widely as to the comparative merits 

 of this race, and its adaptation to our climate 

 and to the wants of our farmers. The most 

 common decision, prevailing among many even 

 of the best judges of stock, appears to be, 

 that, however desirable the cows may be on 

 the lawn or in a gentleman's park, they are 

 Avholly unsuited to the general wants of the 

 practical farmer." 



The cow from which the above engraving 

 was taken, was imported by Mr. J. French, 

 of Roxbury, Mass., direct from the Jersey 

 Islands. 



