Vol. LV. No. 2439. 
NEW YORK, OCTOBER 24, 1896. 
81.00 PER YEAR. 
THE JERSEY GRADE AT THE SOUTH. 
SHE MAKES OVER A MISSISSIPPI COUNTY. 
Home Grown Heifers and Texas Steers. 
Over 20 years ago. Col. W. B. Montgomery, of Stark- 
ville, Miss., began to collect a herd of Jersey cattle. 
He was far-sighted enough to see that the day would 
come when dairying would be a profitable industry in 
the Gulf States and Mexico, and he set out to produce 
the typical Southern dairy cow—an animal which 
would meet the requirements of that warm climate. 
All Southern breeders know of the dangers of bring¬ 
ing mature cattle to the Gulf States from the North. 
The dreaded “acclimation fever” has slain thousands 
of choice animals. Col. Mont¬ 
gomery quickly saw that, taking 
losses from “fever” into con¬ 
sideration, a good “ acclimated ” 
Jersey cow would cost too much 
for the practical dairyman. He, 
therefore, determined to breed 
grades, and to make his home 
county (Oktibbeha), headquarters 
for the trade in “Mississippi 
dairy cattle ”. Accordingly, he 
encouraged the purchase of sur¬ 
plus Jersey bulls by farmers, 
selling them at low figures in 
order to get them into the hands 
of people who would, otherwise, 
use a scrub. Then he set out to 
demonstrate the capacity of the 
Jersey grade as a butter pro¬ 
ducer. Public tests were made 
and the grades were compared 
with the thoroughbreds and the 
old-time scrubs, so that all could 
see what it meant to put the new 
wine of improved blood with the 
strength and vigor of the old 
“ natives ”. The result is that, 
to-day, there is hardly a cow in 
Oktibbeha County that does not 
show Jersey markings, while 
nearly 4,000 heifers are sold each 
year to supply Mexican dairies. 
It is one of the most remarkable 
examples of the possibilities in 
improved grade breeding that this 
country has known. It is more 
remarkable, even, than the pro¬ 
duction of the celebrated “ Dela¬ 
ware County Jerseys” of New 
York State. 
Mr. D. A. Saunders, of Stark- 
ville, is one of the largest dealers 
in Jersey grade heifers, and he 
has told us something about the 
business as conducted in the 
South. Most of these Mississippi 
cattle go to Monterey, Mexico, 
where dairying is developing 
rapidly. The grades average from one-half to three- 
fourths Jersey blood, and bring from $25 to $35 each 
as two-year-olds. When sold in Mexico, these heifers 
bring from $125 to $150 in Mexican money. The cost 
of raising a heifer to two years, is estimated at $10. 
In the mild climate of Mississippi, they run in the 
pasture from the time they are weaned until they are 
sold. The young stock are never housed, the shelter 
of the woods or cane brakes being ample. The ground 
may be frozen for a few days during the winter, in 
which ease they are fed Alfalfa hay ; but with this 
exception, they can find ample pasturage all through 
the year. 
Mexican buyers come direct to the farms and make 
their purchases. Northeastern Mississippi is about 
the northern point of safety for Mexican breeders. 
When taken from above the Tennessee line to Mexico, 
the danger from the fever is increased; but these 
tough, vigorous heifers from Oktibbeha County, can 
be taken South without danger. Col. Montgomery’s 
original stock was of the highest quality, and most 
of the farmers naturally used bulls of his breeding. 
The result has been to produce a wonderfully uniform 
line of grades, since there was considerable uniform¬ 
ity about the “ scrubs ” or natives. In this way, there 
has been produced a distinct form and type of the 
Jersey grade cow—of great value as a dairy animal 
for the South. It cannot be said that Oktibbeha 
County is better situated for producing dairy stock 
JESSE K. SHARPLESS. Fig. 225. 
The Originator op the Siiarpless Strawberry. See Page 702. 
than dozens of other southern counties. In fact, it 
has not, by any means, the best soil or the best of 
railroad facilities. It has, however, the reputation of 
producing first-class Jersey grades. It has been ad¬ 
vertised all over the South as a Jersey grade county. 
The farmers worked together to produce a uniform 
grade of cattle, and they now breed enough good 
heifers to make it an object for large buyers to come 
to them. Buyers go to western New York for apples, 
to Wayne County, N. Y. or to St. Joseph County, 
Mich., for peppermint; to Humboldt, Kan., for horses ; 
to Elgin, Ill., for butter ; to Delaware for peaches, or 
to the Ohio Lake counties for grapes, because they 
know that the people of these districts are making 
special efforts to produce both quantity and quality 
of these products. For the same reason, the Mexican 
cow buyers go to Starkville because they are sure to 
get what they want with little effort. That is a great 
illustration of the value of cooperation among farmers 
in the production of a uniform line of goods. 
The “ Mississippi Jersey” has advertised herself by 
her own butter. There are several home creameries, 
and the butter has long been popular in such cities as 
Mobile and New Orleans. In fact, it was the butter 
that sold the cows, for buyers were so much pleased 
with it that they followed it up to see where it came 
from. Other parts of the South, with just the same 
stock food, but with ordinary cows, were sending in¬ 
ferior butter. It did not take long to see that the 
superiority was due to the Jersey 
blood, and when that was seen, 
of course, Jersey blood went to a 
premium. 
A good many steers are fed for 
beef in this county. Are the 
Jersey grade steers raised ? No. 
It is to the credit of the Jersey 
grade cow that she is able to pay 
her own way and support her 
little brother, too; but these 
Mississippi dairymen have found 
a better way. All but the 
choicest Jersey bulls are vealed 
or killed at birth. The car that 
takes away a load of Jersey heif¬ 
ers generally comes back from 
Texas filled with big Short-horn 
or Hereford grade steers. These 
are turned into the pastures and 
fed on cotton-seed meal and cot¬ 
ton hulls or, in fall and winter, 
on Alfalfa hay and cotton-seed 
meal. After about 90 days’ feed¬ 
ing, they are sold to make way 
for another lot. Buyers come 
after the steers just as they come 
after the heifers. Thus, while it 
pays to breed the heifers at 
home, it also pays to import the 
steers. In other words, the first 
two years of a buttermaking ma¬ 
chine are more profitably spent 
in Mississippi, while the early 
life of a beef-maker is more of a 
success in Texas. 
Mr. Saunders says that the in¬ 
troduction of beef and butter¬ 
making on business-like methods, 
has done more for the agriculture 
of Oktibbeha County than any¬ 
thing else yet attempted. It has 
diversified farming, and given the 
farmers four cash products when, 
formerly, they had but one—cot¬ 
ton. Now, they can sell beef, 
butter, heifers and cotton. In 
former years, hardly a week 
passed without bringing a car-load of pork from the 
West. Now they use hardly half a dozen car-loads in 
a year. The meat is now made on their own farms, 
and improved breeds of hogs are to be seen every¬ 
where. The best of it is that the cotton crop is larger 
than ever, for improved stock raising has compelled 
better care of grass lands. This means more manure, 
and that means more of aU useful crops. Surely, if 
one cares to see evidences of the beneficent reign 
of Queen Jersey Cow, he will find it in Oktibbeha 
County, Miss. Alfalfa has been a great help in 
developing the dairy interests of Mississippi. It has 
helped to solve the food problem, which was almost 
as important as tbs introduction of the best Jersey 
blood, h. w. c. 
