Jersey Cattle and their Management. 
223 
preventing its deterioration, eradicating its delects, and per- 
petuating and increasing its excellences, were only to be ob- 
tained bv selecting the finest and most perfect animals lor 
reproduction, resolutely rejecting from the breeding stock every 
animal in which defects were to be found ; " like producing 
like being a maxim which every breeder must ever keep in 
view." The growing taste for animals of a whole colour was 
also deprecated. Tliis was first shown by the Americans, 
and later by English buyers, especially after Mr. Dauncey's 
great sale in Buckinghamshire, when 90 animals realised 
3737/. 9s. Old. In their report to the members of the Society, 
the Board thus protested : " Let henceforth such fanciful ideas 
as black tails and black tongues be simply estimated at their 
proper value ; but let the large and rich yield of milk ever be 
the breeder's ambition to procure." They also impressed on 
farmers the necessity of selecting bulls onhj from the best and 
richest milkers. Some fear was at first felt by the Board at 
the rise of cattle-shows in the various parishes. Jersey is 
divided into twelve parishes ; and in 1852 St. Peter's and 
St. Owen's formed farmers' clubs and held local shows. These, 
far from injuring, only swelled the shows of the parent societ}'^, 
which was increased by upwards of one hundred entries. In 
course of time the States' grant was renewed, and it now amounts 
to 150Z., of which 100/. is divided in prizes of 10/. among ten 
parishes, and 50/. in prizes for bulls. In Jersey, bulls were 
looked upon as expensive animals to keep ; for they are kept 
generally in very high condition, and the prize bull of a parish 
becomes in truth a parish bull. It is no uncommon thing for 
a first-prize animal to serve upwards of 300 cows during the 
season, consequently they are rarely kept over three years old ; by 
some this is attributed to the viciousness of the animal increas- 
ing with age, but undoubtedly the true reason is unfruitfulness. 
The origin of recording pedigree, and eventually of the 
Herd-book, was as follows. A few years after the first show 
was held, the produce of prize animals came to be exhibited ; 
and in 1838 points were first given for pedigree, which meant 
" the offspring of a prize or decorated male or female stock." 
Col. C. P. Le Cornu saw, as years passed by, the necessity 
of a further classification of animals. The result of his in- 
quiries into the system of the English herd-books was not at 
all in accordance with his own ideas, which were to divide 
stock into three classes — highly commend the best, commend 
the second best, and reject the inferior animals. After great 
opposition, he at last succeeded, in 1866, in getting a meeting 
held to take steps for the formation of a Herd-book. He 
placed the advantages of his system — to select and breed from 
