It is the experience of every breeder of Jerseys that, being dry, they will take on flesh as fast, with a given quantity and quality of feed, as other breeds, not exclusively beef producers.
They are not good for beef, simply because they are good for butter.
From Jersey cows, a farmer in New England can make a pound of butter worth thirty-five cents, with a less quantity of food than they now use to make a pound and one half of beef worth nine cents.
If farmers think there is some error in these statements, they will, like sensible men whose prosperity depends upon the result, sit down and figure out the results for themselves.
Those who talk loudest against them, will hold on to a cow in their herd that has a little Jersey blood in her; and if they put a price on her, it will be from half as much again, to double that of the finer formed cow standing beside her, guiltless of having any Jersey blood in her veins.
If there is an animal to be had any better than the bull any one is now using, it ought to be secured at once. So with cows, but by all means change at once for a better, any bull, however good.
It is not claimed for any of the tables herewith presented, that they show absolutely the value of any cow to any farmer, but only that they are relatively correct. Every man who consults them, must make his own adjustments as to cost and receipts on any cow he owns. It is clear, that adding a very little to the cost of keeping, and deducting a very little from the price of butter, will show that any 200 pound butter cow brings her owner in debt, each year. Again, there are probably hundreds of cows kept for the dairy, that will not make two hundred pounds of butter in one year on the same feed Jersey Belle of Scituate, had when she made seven hundred and five pounds of butter in one year. It may be said that no allowance is made for any accidents to which a cow is liable—to abort, to have a calf die at birth, to injury, &c., and the thought is present that the loss on the poorer animal is not so much, in that case, as on the better; but the better is no more liable to such a case, and the loss is nearly the same proportionally. But it is still true, that the nearer to absolute worthlessness animals are, the less the loss, relatively and absolutely, their owner suffers in their injury. Better remember, however, that “blessed be nothing” is not the ejaculation of the healthful, the enterprising, and the successful, but of desperate disease, incapacity, or idleness.
Table E.
Showing the value of the progeny of a herd of 32 cows, that each make 300 pounds of butter annually, at the expiration of ten years, together with the value of the butter the progeny will have made during the ten years. Also showing the same on a herd of 32 cows, each making 200 pounds of butter annually. No account is taken of the bull calves, for they are worth nothing. No one can afford to use a bull, however good, if one is to be had that is any better.
| 200 POUND BUTTER HERD. | 300 POUND BUTTER HERD. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On January 1st, of the year— | The original herd of 32 will drop— | Coming in milk at 2, will make butter— | Value of butter at the end of ten years. | Value of heifers at end of ten years. | Total value of the heifers and their product. | Value of butter at the end of ten years. | Value of heifers at end of ten years. | Total value of the heifers and their product. |
| 1881 | 16 heifers, | 8 years, | $3,174 46 | $160 | $3,334 46 | $6,973 12 | $1,216 | $8,189 12 |
| 1882 | 16 ” | 7 ” | 2,724 54 | 160 | 2,884 54 | 6,073 12 | 1,824 | 7,897 12 |
| 1883 | 16 ” | 6 ” | 2,247 04 | 320 | 2,567 04 | 5,117 92 | 2,432 | 7,549 92 |
| 1884 | 16 ” | 5 ” | 1,740 32 | 480 | 2,220 32 | 4,104 32 | 3,040 | 7,144 32 |
| 1885 | 16 ” | 4 ” | 1,202 72 | 480 | 1,682 72 | 3,029 12 | 3,040 | 6,069 12 |
| 1886 | 16 ” | 3 ” | 632 32 | 480 | 1,112 32 | 1,888 32 | 3,040 | 4,928 32 |
| 1887 | 16 ” | 2 ” | 208 64 | 480 | 688 64 | 980 48 | 3,040 | 4,020 48 |
| 1888 | 16 ” | 1 ” | 480 | 480 00 | 340 32 | 3,040 | 3,380 32 | |
| 1889 | 16 ” | yearling, | 288 | 288 00 | 2,000 | 2,000 00 | ||
| 1890 | 16 ” | calf, | 96 | 96 00 | 960 | 960 00 | ||
| Product of the Second Generation. | ||||||||
| 1883 | 8 heifers, | 6 years, | $1,122 52 | 160 | $1,283 54 | $2,558 96 | 1,216 | $3,774 96 |
| 1884 | 8 ” | 5 ” | 870 16 | 240 | 1,110 16 | 2,052 16 | 1,520 | 3,572 16 |
| 1885 | 8 ” | 4 ” | 601 36 | 240 | 841 36 | 1,514 56 | 1,520 | 3,034 56 |
| 1886 | 8 ” | 3 ” | 316 16 | 240 | 556 16 | 944 16 | 1,520 | 2,464 16 |
| 1887 | 8 ” | 2 ” | 104 32 | 240 | 344 32 | 490 24 | 1,520 | 2,010 24 |
| 1888 | 8 ” | 1 ” | 240 | 240 00 | 170 16 | 1,520 | 1,690 16 | |
| 1889 | 8 ” | yearling, | 144 | 144 00 | 1,000 | 1,000 00 | ||
| 1890 | 8 ” | calf, | 48 | 48 00 | 480 | 480 00 | ||
| Product of the Third Generation. | ||||||||
| 1885 | 4 heifers, | 4 years, | $300 68 | 120 | $420 68 | $757 28 | 760 | $1,517 28 |
| 1886 | 4 ” | 3 ” | 158 08 | 120 | 278 08 | 472 08 | 760 | 1,232 08 |
| 1887 | 4 ” | 2 ” | 52 16 | 120 | 172 16 | 245 12 | 760 | 1,005 12 |
| 1888 | 4 ” | 1 ” | 120 | 120 00 | 85 08 | 760 | 845 08 | |
| 1889 | 4 ” | yearling, | 72 | 72 00 | 500 | 500 00 | ||
| 1890 | 4 ” | calf, | 24 | 24 00 | 240 | 240 00 | ||
| Product of the Fourth Generation. | ||||||||
| 1887 | 2 heifers, | 2 years, | $26 08 | 60 | $86 08 | $122 56 | 380 | $502 56 |
| 1888 | 2 ” | 1 ” | 60 | 60 00 | 42 54 | 380 | 422 54 | |
| 1889 | 2 ” | yearling, | 36 | 36 00 | 250 | 250 00 | ||
| 1890 | 2 ” | calf, | 12 | 12 00 | 120 | 120 00 | ||
| Product of the Fifth Generation. | ||||||||
| 1889 | 1 heifer, | yearling, | 18 | 18 00 | 125 | 125 00 | ||
| 1890 | 1 ” | calf, | 6 | 6 00 | 60 | 60 00 | ||
| Total value of progeny from herd of 32 in 10 years, | $21,226 58 | $76,984 62 | ||||||
| Value of progeny, $2,405 77 on each 300 pound cow. | ||||||||
| Value of progeny, $663 33 on each 200 pound cow. | ||||||||