Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-09-18

letter from an American farmer in Holland, of
which the following is an extract:
Everything here Is so novel that description
for much we have met must wait for better OPP
portunity than the limits of a letter, and for
more leisure than | now have. If | were to
commence, "0n such day we visited one of
the wealthiest farmers of North Holland, where
we were entertained in the cow stable" nothing
less than quarto sheet would suffice for what
ought 10 follow, TO give you an idea of our
very pleasant experience on this one occasion.
This, which was a COW stable, let me add, how
ever was very charmingly neat apartment,
and in this respect, equal to any used for any
purpose in New England; and there we were
treated to coffee and cigars and intelligent con-
versation, and did not meet with Clutch boor'
on the premises.
Everybody is familiar with the description OF
Holland as "a country drawing forty feet of
water" here you may realize it any day. You
may ride along the dykes under the banks OF
one of the main canals, and looking up, see the
sails of large boats passing much above you. In
North Holland are roads paved with brick, lined
on either side with fine trees, and reaching on
level and perfectly straight line as far as the eye
can see. In other parts the roads are narrow
and crooked, but always on either side is a dyke
or canal.
have looked across the country for distance
of ten or a dozen miles, with nothing above the
level OF the land but cattle and sheep, which are
everywhere. An odder sight is in approaching
| Saardam, with its four hundred and eighty wind
| mills. From a few miles out they seem to oc-
| cupy hundred degrees of horizon, and in a
| brisk wind are spectacle such as you can
scarcely imagine.
In many quarters of the country the land lies
but a few inches above the water level, but in
| the best districts, particularly in the Beemster
it is from four to five feet above, admitting o
thorough drainage. There are fields of the fines
grass and of the heaviest burden, bearing tn
| after Moved Occasion
ally are seen fax, English beans orpotatoeS, bu
almost wholly moving and paSturage. On Sucl
"poldars" are raised the finest cattle, and il
made the best Dutch cheese. Singular, isn't it
that these vast levels of meadow do not know
the moving machine, though the tedder is quit
commonly in use; the reason given me for no
using the former is a fear .of dissatisfaction
among the laborers.
In Holland the "yrow" is truly a help, mel
and women labor at the same employments
and neither seems to be the worse for it.
| had frequently noticed women steering the
boats which ply up and down the main canals
and at steamboat landing, a few days ago,
saw a remarkably good looking girl of seven
teen ready to receive and secure the landing ca
Bile. But Yesterdays experience exceeded all
this; towing one Of the largest sloOps of the ca
nails were two stout young women, harneSsed
much as the dogs are harnessed here, with q
canvas band about the chest, while with the til
Ter between his legs, and pipe in his mouth, on
the poop stood Mynheer.
In England the donkey land the smallest Of
donkeys at that) does the work of the horse
with us; here it is the dog, land again quite Q
small dog,) you see them everywhere, sinTy
harnessed under the axle, helping a man
woman or boy with hand barrow, or three OF
them abreast to a small cart, going with it and
its occupants at rate equal to that Of the best
of Dutch horses.
But | must come to the Dutch COW, which
ought to interest YOU more, and about which
you are aware brought with me something oil
a dlstrust; indeed, | can not now remember
those have seen at home as like the fine ami
mails met with in North Holland. Certainly
that is not the best method Of selecting stock
which has been adopted by some New En-
CHAMBERS.
Even the porter of the hotel from which
write has his orders from America for Dutch
cows, and he particularly for no apparent rea
son, but because he speaks English. He knows
| nothing on the subject, nor does he pretend to
his method seemingly is to go to the nearest car
tie market, and buy such young stock as can b.
got for the least money. Here, as elsewhere
the only animal worth exporting to such a dis
lance must be sought for many days, and wheI
found,i is quite commonly in the hands of maj
VINO mas no desire TO part with her.
The best stock of Holland is raised and kept
Oy gentlemen farmers, who occupy the fine
lgh lands to the south of Harlem, toward
Leiden, who never sell; and by the cheese.
makers, of the Purmer, the Beemster and the
Schermer in North Holland. In Friesland and
in Cumberland are also fine cows but nowhere
so generally as in the Purmer and the Beemster
| have spent much time in these places, and
have exercised my Yankee inquisityeness, and
always with the same replies. The Dutch COW
in the latter named districts, and in all the bet
ter portion of Holland, gives an average o.
twenty Dutch cans, equal TO twenty-eight wine
quarts, per day for the pasturing season o.
about six months, or all the people with whom
| have conversed are mistaken. From this il
made two and half Dutch pounds of cheese
and onehalf pound of butter per day. Thu
butter in this case being made from the skim
ming of the whey after making the cheese, ant
is not of first rate quality, as | tested it. 1t il
said this process is sometimes reversed. TIT
cheese now sells at the farm at siXpence sterlln;
per pound. | have endeayored to learn what i
the largest milking known from a single COW il
one daY. but not so satisfactorily.