ALDERNEY CATTLE. Jersey or channel cattle, are natives of the islands belonging to England, lying in the British channel about twelve miles from France. The largest of the group (Jersey) is about twelve miles long by five in breadth, and here the largest number and the best of these distinctive and excellent milk ing cows—if we consider them purely for the tidiness of the milk in creain and butter—are now produced. Hence they are now generally known as Jerseys. Ot late years strict attention to purity of blood and careful selection have rend ered this breed of cattle quite uniform in their characteristics, and in breeding to type, although .one may infer that up to Yonatt's time little attention was paid to their breeding, since this careful writer bestows but little space upon their histoiy. Briefly- stated, they were carried to the channel islands long ago from Normandy, in France, and in the course of time developed into the peculiar and deer-like race which is now most perfectly fixed. Mr. Louis F. Allen, a careful, usually correct, and a conscientious wri ter, though apt to form a standard from his favorite Short-horns, describes them with accu racy as follows: Beginning with the head—the most characteristic feature—the muzzle is fine; the nose either dark brown or black, and occa sionally a yellowish shade, with a peculiar mealy, light-colored hair, running up the face into a smoky hue, when it gradually takes the 3 general color of the body; the face is slightly dishing, clean of flesh, mild and gentle in expression; the eye clear and full, and encircled with a distinct ring of the color of the nose; the forehead bold; the horn short, curving inward, and waxy in color, vvith black tips; the ear sizable, thin, and quick in movement. The whole head is original, and blood-like in appear ance,—more so than in almost any other of the cattle race,—reminding one strongly of the head of our American elk. The neck is somewhat depressed—would he called ewe-necked by some —but clean in the throat, with moderate or little dewlap; the shoulders are wide and somewhat ragged, with prominent points, running down to a delicate arm, and slender legs beneath ; the fore-quarters stand rather close together, with a thinnish, yet well developed brisket between; the ribs are flat, yet giving sufficient play for good lungs; the back depressed and somewhat hollow; the helly deep and large; the hips tolera bly wide; the rump and tail high; the loin and quarter medium in length; the thigh tbin and deep; the twist wide, to accommodate a clean, good-sized udder; the flanks medium: the hocks or gambrel joints crooked; the hind legs small; the udder capacious, square, set -well forward, and covered with soft, silky hair; the teats fine, standing well apart and nicely tapering; the milk veins prominent. On the whole she is a homely,
blood-like, gentle, useful little housekeeping body, with a most kindly temper. loving to be petted, and, like the pony with the children, readily becomes a great favorite with those who have her about them, either in pasture, paddock, stable or tbe lawn. The colors are usually light red or fawn, occasionally smoky grey, and sometimes black, mixed or splashed more or less with white. Roan colors, and a more rounded form, are now and then seen among them, but we do not like them (as they savor of a Short-horn cross, which they should not have), as anything but their own blood and figure, and that of the ancient stock, deteriorates them—as Alderneys. The first importation of Jerseys into the United States is said to have been made by the late Nicholas Biddle, of Penn sylvania. They were coarse, and were probably nearer Guernseys than Alderneys or Jerseys. Later, Mr. Roswell Colt, of New Jersey, imported a superior herd Mr. Motley, of Massachusetts, and Mr. Taintor, of Connecticut, also imported superior animals soon after. Subsequent impor tations of the choicest blood have rendered this breed quite common, and they are pretty gen erally disseminated throughout the United States. Various attempts have been made in crossing the Jersey with other improved breeds, but the results have always proved unsatisfactory. When crossed, however, upon the native mixed stock of the country, it has always resulted in an increase in the richness of the milk, and often in an increased flow. The colors vary munli in the Jerseys. Fawn color, fawn color and white, yel low, mouse color, brown, and even almost black are found The bulls are darker than the cows, and the color increases with age. A yellow or fawn-colored calf will sometimes, at one or two years of age, assume so dark a tint as to leave scarcely a trace of the lighter color. The butter from the cows is very rich in cream and deep yellow in color, so much so that a few cows in a herd will decidedly change the color of the butter of the whole herd. The percentage of cream to milk varies from eighteen to twenty five per cent., and the proportion of butter to cream varies from 3 70 to 8.07 in 100 parts. Twenty-six quarts per day has been recorded as the product of an individual cow, and fourteen pounds of butter per week. Sixteen quarts per day may be regarded as a good yield, and when we take into consideration the light weight of the cow, and the fact that the milk will yield from one-quarter to one-sixth of the richest cream, we need not wonder that these gentle and deer-like cattle have become universal favorites as a family cow. (See cut, opposite page.) Ground ivy.