Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-11-14
A Tennesean in Holland.


vile American from a well known
Middle Tennessee cattle breeder, now
in Europe to purchase improved |
breeds Of cattle, will be read with in
terest by our Tennessee stockmen ::
PURMUREND, North HOLLAND,
Aug. 8, 1SS5.-There is not great |
deal that Americans can learn from
Europe. They think there is moth
ing in farming, but being here in one
of the most thickly populated coun-
tries in the world, and an agricultu-
raj country, too, the way the Dutch
manage to subsist at all may prove
interesting if not profitable to our
people. In the first place, the Dutch
man is a small farmer; that is he
does not usually possess more than
thirty or forty acres of land. This in
the best districts of North Holland,
such as Brunster, is devoted entirely
to grass. Upon this farm he keeps
one horse, few hogs, and not less
than thirty cows. What few hogs he
keeps have wire in their noses to
keep them from roofing up the grass.
His horse is more for ornament than
utility; he never rides horseback. He
keeps a carriage that he uses OCCASION
ally; he does none of his hauling
with horses. This is usually done
with dogs. They seem to go upon
the idea that inasmuch as man is
obliged to keep dogs, it is better to
make themlwork for their living than
to obtain it by killing sheep. And
this reminds me that great many
farmers keep considerable numbers of
a superior breed of sheep; but / I'M
derstand the number is constantly
growing less, as they have not proven
so profitable as cattle raising.
The country all lies below the sur
face of the Zuider Zee, and lthey tell
me that in the Brunster, the lowest
of the districts, is not less than 100
feet below theIsurface of the great
body of water surrounding the coun-
try; consequently irrigation, when
necessary, is easy. The trouble here
has not been so much inl drouths as
in keeping the water out.
The Dutch farmer is continually
fertilizing, and this process repeated
for some centuries, with no crop to
drain the substance from the soil ex-
cept grass, makes it rival if not sur
pass in fertility the famed banks of
the Nile. He consequently mows
four or five crops of hay year, and
gets as many tons of good hay from
each acre moved. This he carefully
packs away in the barn where it can
never get wet.
Our people wouldnaturally inquire:
Where does his living come from ?
1t does look strange to the cotton
planter, or corn grower, or wheat
raiser, but he has solved the question
Just as Tennesseans will do in the
, near future. He makes it from his
cattle. Thirty cows in milk the
whole year round, for he has breed
that refuses to Ego dry" and one that
has surprised the world with her i'm.
mense yield of milk. After an eXpe
I rience of several hundred years he
: has learned to make the best cheese
: that is made in any quarter of the
: globe, it is known the civilized WORLD
T over. For this cheese he has a fixed
certain and remunerative market
and sells it each week and pockets
, the cash. His cattle have become al
! most as well known as his cheese
: consequently the increase of his here
= are sold at the most fancy prices
e The shipping firm of Prins & Zwanen
n burg, at Amsterdam, told me tina
they had, this year, shipped for breed
# ing purposes to France, Spain, Rus
/ STA, Germany and America, and ever
!. one shipment had gone to Soutl
.. Africa. He makes butter as we'll a
:, cheese he makes cheese from mill
" after the cream is taken off, thougl
81 its quality is not ranked as the best
e These cattlesupport the thickest pOpU
; lation in the world, and have mad
e of these Hollanders the richest fal
e mers on the globe. Every farme
IL keeps his carriage, his wines and hi
=, schiedam snaps, and lives in a mos
, elegant and tasteful brick residence
- His land is worth not less than $50
Il per acre, and, though he wears wOoC
d en- shoes, he has never learned thu
le others are more comfortable, and
he does make his wife work hard sh
declares that she prefers it, and e,
u OrpSCpS pOntpp,nt for oDN, ona VIII