333 
1878 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
A Norfolk Polled Heifer. 
We recently gave a picture of a Norfolk polled 
cow. Herewith is presented a portrait from one 
published in the “Agricultural Gazette,” (Eng.) of 
a heifer of this breed: it is Rosebud 2d; dam, 
Rosebud 1st; sire, Rudham Hero; bred by Mr. 
Savory of Rudham Grange, England. The breed 
is attracting considerable notice in that country, 
and a Herd-book has been established for the pro¬ 
tection both of breeders and purchasers, as well as 
for the preservation of the purity of the breed, 
which is worthy of introduction and cultivation 
in America. The dairy interest is growing to an 
enormous extent, and in its developement over 
greatly differing localities, there is not one really 
good kind of dairy stock that may not find a place, 
in which, for certain purposes, or to suit certain 
tastes, or necessities, it may surpass all others in 
form and usefulness. That the Norfolk polled cat¬ 
tle desire the high reputation they possess, is 
proven by the fact that at the commencement 
of the herd-book, more than seven hundred care¬ 
fully bred animals were offered for entry. There is 
but one full herd of them in America—that import¬ 
ed and bred by Mr. Taber, of Patterson, N. T.—with 
a few scattered animals in different sections. From 
the numerous enquiries made concerning them 
since our previous illustration, it seems that they 
are exciting considerable interest. This would be 
augmented if a few energetic importers of other 
cattle would turn their attention to these. That 
such ventures would be profitable, seems to be 
quite certain, considering the prices realized for 
Jerseys at every importer’s sale. It is not alone as 
dairy cattle, that this breed deserves notice : the il¬ 
lustration shows that these animals will produce 
beef as well as milk. The deep brisket, the full 
fore-quarter, the rounded barrel carrying a full 
loin, and the general symmetry would not disgrace 
a short-liorn of the first families. To produce good 
milch cows and excellent beeves is sufficient to 
give character to any breed : but when in addition 
it has the advantages of being easily kept on mod¬ 
erate pastures and feeding, and being without the 
dangerous and useless horns, it becomes still more 
valuable and desirable. With the present outlook 
rights, representing 10,000 acres of land, were sold 
in 1877, and the present year 290 rights were dis¬ 
posed of up to July. As progress is made and ex¬ 
perience gained, or better methods are practised, the 
water is used with more economy, and the breadth 
of land that can be watered is consequently en¬ 
larged. So far, streams only have been utilized, 
Cross-Bred Jersey-Ayr shire 
for the Dairy. 
Cows 
Which is the best cow for farm and for family use ? 
Where the farmer uses his cows for butter making, 
experience would go to show that the grade Jersey 
CROSS-BRED JERSEY-AYRSHIRE. 
but it is now proposed to make use of the water of 
occasional floods by confining it in reservoirs. In 
this way the supply may be largely increased, and 
hundreds of farms made in places that are now 
barren, not only because they aro deficient in water 
for three-fourths of the year, but because they are 
torn and devastated by freshets, and inundations at 
other seasons, when the water would be useless for 
vegetation. It will doubtless be but a short time 
NORFOLK POLLED HEIFER. 
for an extensive trade in beef and beef cattle, their 
characteristics will carry much weight in the choice 
of live stock for both milk and general farming. 
Agriculture by Irrigation.— The cultiva¬ 
tion of land by means of irrigation is gradually 
extending in Colorado, California, and other locali¬ 
ties. In the colony of Greeley, Colorado. 250 water 
before agriculture will call tor the services of 
engineers, to make available the practically unlim¬ 
ited opportunities for impounding water in the 
mountain valleys, and using it for irrigation. We 
hear already of such intentions in the valley of 
the Arkansas, which possesses a supply of water 
sufficient to convert its present dry fields into 
gardens for several hundred miles along its course. 
is essentially the farmer’s cow, a fact widely appre¬ 
ciated. The mark of the Jersey is now noticed 
on every hand in the beautiful and picturesque 
colors and graceful forms of the cows seen grazing 
in the meadows, and dotting the pastures. No other 
cow is so easily kept, or more docile, or gives a 
richer return in butter for the food consumed, than 
the grade Jersey. But something depends upon 
the cow from which the grade is raised. Unless 
I the dam of the cow is a copious milker, and is able 
: to transmit this quality to her progeny, the princi¬ 
pal end sought in the crossing is missed. The 
Ayrshire is the most prolific milk cow. For 
large yields, and for easy keeping, she is unsur¬ 
passed. To cross an Ayrshire cow, with a well 
selected Jersey bull, ought to give the best dairy 
cow that can be readily produced. The large 
milk yield of the Ayrshire, is united with 
the large cream yield of the Jersey, and we 
have all we can procure in one way from the 
Jersey, multiplied by the excess of the yield of 
the Ayrshire. Herewith we give a portrait, the 
first ever published, we believe, of a cross-bred 
Jersey-Ayrshire cow. This is a young animal, a 
few days over two years old, but has been milking 
for five months, and has produced over one pound 
of butter per day from a little more than eight- 
quarts of milk. She was bred by Mr. Thomas 
Fitch, of New London, Connecticut, a gentleman 
who has been experimenting in crossing the Jersey 
upon every known breed of cow, including the 
“ Sacred cow of India, ” for over 80 years, and who 
long ago settled upon the Jersey-Ayrshire as 
the best cross possible for large yield and rich qual¬ 
ity of milk. The cow in question is a white and 
brindle in color, with a golden yellow skin which 
shows through the fine short silky hair at every 
place where white prevails. As a proof of the easy 
keeping of this class of cows, the original of the 
illustration has been kept in excellent condition 
from the mowings of less than half an acre of lawn 
with two quarts of middlings daily ; and upon this 
feed has been, and is, producing a little more than 
one pound of butter per day. For so young a cow 
this performance is worthy of being recorded 
among those of the many good cows whose por¬ 
traits have from time to time been exhibited in the 
American Agriculturist. It is evident that this is one 
of the best cows for the farm and for family use. 
