SELECTING THE BREED 67 



predominates, showing a wedge-shaped, deep- 

 chested body, good digestive organs, large full 

 udders, well-developed milk veins, and a soft, mel- 

 low skin. The cows are gentle and docile when well 

 treated, while the bulls have a reputation of being 

 hard to handle and sometimes ugly and dangerous. 

 This, however, depends largely upon their early 

 treatment and training. While the Jerseys are the 

 smallest in average size of the noted dairy breeds, 

 certain strains of Jerseys reach a good weight. 



On their native island the Jerseys have been bred 

 especially and almost exclusively for butter. In 

 America breeders have striven with some degree of 

 success to increase the milk yield while maintaining 

 its high quality. The cows are noted for persistence 

 in milking, making a long season of profit. Many 

 herds average 5,000 to 6,000 pounds of milk an- 

 nually, and single cows have reached 14,000 and 

 even 16,000 pounds. Jersey butter records usually 

 make a good showing, and good herds average 350 

 to 400 pounds of butter annually, and single cows 

 have exceeded 6dd pounds. Confirmed tests of 20 

 pounds of butter in seven days have been recorded. 



The man more important than the breed. — It is 

 possible to select any one of the principal breeds of 

 dairy cows and consider it from the most favorable 

 standpoint and make it appear to be the best breed. 

 On the other hand it is just as easy to discuss these 

 same breeds individually from their most unfavor- 

 able standpoint and make them appear very unde- 

 sirable for dairy purposes. The writer, however, 

 has tried to give them all fair treatment. The fact 



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