EDITORIAL. 
“5 
of tuberculosis. Now, the only means 6f rescue from this imminent peril to the breed 
is to destroy the diseased root and branch, and to breed back the healthy to their stal¬ 
wart progenitors, the'Cotentine blood of the Normandy, the noblest, longest, most vig 
orous and best milk and meat animals of the world. But what shall we do with our 
long-cherished pedigrees? ask the Jersey breeders. Save the good with the healthy 
cattle, and destroy the worthless with the tuberculous stock ! All through Europe 
the blood of the magnificent Cotentine of Normandy can be traced to whenever doing 
and beef excellence in the herds are found. It is like the blood of the grand old 
Block Flemish Draft Horse, it permeates every breed of Draft Horses. None are su¬ 
perior without this Flemish blood. The Jersey, in her island home, though in-bred 
for a hundred years, and though refined and dwarfed, yet, with her Norman blood, 
her similar surroundings and treatment, she retains the butter and beef qualities in a 
surpassing degree even under much adversity. This is also true of her cousin 
and neighbor the Guernsey. The Jersey, in the United States and Canada, and 
doubtless in England, will not probably average above seven hundred pounds weight; 
while the noble Cotentine will average about double that weight. The Jersey main¬ 
tains her appetite and digestive powers descended from the Norman, and her con¬ 
sumption of food is now relatively much greater than her progenitor. Weight for 
weight, the Norman cow consumes far less food than the Jersey, and yields relative¬ 
ly a larger amount of products. It is doubtless true, that with the same amount of 
food, cow for cow, the Cotentine will give a product of milk and meat, of greater 
weight and value than any cow in the world. 
I know this is a new and startling letter to Breeders and Owners of Jersey Cattle. 
But my convictions have been verified by my investigations and studies of the breeds 
of Jerseys and Cotentines, in their herds, pastures and homes. Further, I trust that 
my method of breeding out the tendency even, to tuberculosis in the Jersey and 
Guernsey breeds, will give relief and hope to the Breeders of these strains of valuable 
bovine blood, as the vigor, stamina and strength of the Norman blood has ever re¬ 
sisted the infection of tuberculosis. Separate your healthy, large and robust from the 
small and weak, and breed them up and back to their souver of health and excellence. 
In so doing you will not lose the beautiful heads and large lustrous eyes, nor the 
shades of cherished colors, but you will secure size and stamina and health, for all of 
these are inherent in the substantial Normandy, so long cherished in the Cotentine 
blood. The Cotentine though large, yet relatively the per cent, of bone is less than 
that of the Jersey, Guernsey or other short horn. I have never eaten better 
beef or veal than that of the Jersey or Norman. The Jersey milk and butter are good 
when fresh, but the keeping quality of the Cotentine products are far better. The 
waxy texture and aroma of the Normandy butter is superlative, and its keeping qual¬ 
ity superior to any butter with which I am acquainted. I have seen it in large piles 
unsalted for two or three days, then salted and put up, having maintained fine texture 
and full aroma for weeks. The bulls of the Normandy breed are gentle and safe, and 
the cows are kind and snbmissive. 
What I have written has in nowise been inspired by self-interest, as I have not, 
and do not expect ever to have one dollar invested in Cotentine breed of cattle of 
Normandy ; nor have I any French interests. 
A. S. Heath, M.D., V.S. 
