44 The Guernsey Breed 



and have found a marked difference to exist between the cattle of 

 the eastern district and those of the western district, being cursory 

 visitors, may not have been aware of what I am to state. I believe 

 the type to be the same. The difference in appearance is thus ac- 

 counted for: The north and northwest coast of Jersey is high and 

 precipitous, a bold syenite rock, rising 200 and more feet from the 

 level of the sea. Its nearest shelter in a westerly or southwesterly 

 direction is the island of Newfoundland, on the British-American 

 shore. Southwest gales prevail here nine months out of the 12. 

 While I am writing a hurricane from the southwest has burst over 

 us and burned all the exposed trees like a flame; it has ruined scores 

 of orchards and gardens, leveled many trees, leaving the pastures 

 like damaged hay. Hence this elevated coast has usually a short, 

 scant, rich, nutritious herbage, from being so frequently saturated 

 with saline moisture. Thus the cattle on this side are small, fine- 

 limbed, and hardy. 



"The southward half of Jersey may be called an inclined plane, 

 gradually and beautifully slanting to the sea-shore, watered by in- 

 numerable streams. A part of it is a rich alluvial soil and meadow 

 land so sheltered and warmed as to produce fruit and vegetables a 

 fortnight or three weeks sooner than in my neighborhood. The cattle 

 of this district are, consequently, fed on a richer pasture. They are 

 larger in carcass, some think handsomer, than those of the upland. 

 I consider them to be more delicate. 



"The late Earl Spencer, and former president of the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society of England, an able and worthy contemporary of 

 Bates, Booth and other noted Shorthorn breeders, had a fine little 

 herd of Jerseys. When on a visit to him at Althorp, in 1839, he 

 strongly advised me to recommend our farmers never to venture on 

 a foreign cross, nor with Shorthorns or Devons; merely to cross the 

 cows of the low, rich pastures with the hardy bulls of the exposed 

 northern coasts, and vice versa. We had established a character 

 in our cows for creaming and milking habits peculiar to our crumpled- 

 horned race to hold to, by which means alone our breed might con- 

 tinue as renowned in the next century as it has been in the present 

 one. Many have held to that sound advice. 



"I shall be miich honoured by receiving a copy of your Jersey 

 Herd book, and shall, moreover, ifeel much gratified if what I have 

 written shall prove interesting or useful to you. Believe me to be, 

 "Very truly yours, 



(Signed) "J. LE COUTEUR. 

 "To Col. Geo. E. Waring Jr„ Secretary, etc." 



The following extract, also taken from the American 

 Jersey Cattle Club Field Book, Vol. I, written by Dr. L. H. 

 Twaddell, who visited the Channel Islands, in 1865, will be 

 of interest : 



"Three thousand Jersey cows and heifers and about 1,200 Guern- 

 seys are exported from the islands_ every year. 



"The Jersey cow is of a medium size. Her peculiar, deer-like 

 aspect distinguishes her from the Guernsey. Her head is long and 

 slender, the muzzle fine, and usually encircled with a lighter color; 

 the nose is black, and the large, dreamy eyes encircled with a black 

 band; occasionally the nose is of a buff color, when there is a cor- 

 Digitized by Microsoft® 



