Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-11-07
HOLSTEIN CATTLE.
Their Prominent Qualities and
Their value.

II
Their value.
Tb;s race of cattle is too little known
in the west, Or they would be found In
much larger numbers. That it is one OF
the Oldest breeds of pure cattle known
there is little doubt. They have been
bred for five hundred consecutive years,
mainly for dairy purposes, and wherever
known are highly estimated for their ex-
cellence in these respects. For quantity
of milk they have no superior, while for
the cheese factory they are unequaled.
Many, moreover, who know them well
and have handled them for years claim
that as butter cow they compare very
favorably with the best bred Jerseys,
besides making double their weight
when marketed for beef.
In saying this we mean no disrespect
to the docile and fawn-like Jersey, the
pet of every member of the household
from baby up, and as much the poor
mans friend as the rich mans beauty.
There is no possibility of discounting her
nor any necessity for attempting it. She
stands upon her own we'll earned merits
and is able to hold her own against all
comers.
But the Jersey has her place no more
surely, and holds it with no more GER
tainty than does the Holstein hers. and
it is because the latters place has not
been recognized that we wish to direct
attention to it.
To show what that is, we gather few
IN w ba
us. Our Holstein COW gave, in May last,
when four years old, 1923 pounds OF
milk, and in six months, 9,437 pounds;
another of the same age gave, In five
months, 1852 pounds, and yet another,
of equal age, 1907 pounds in the month
of May, and in five months, 1875 pounds.
( A heifer dropped sher calf when little
under two years old and gave in one day
SO pounds, in thirty-one days, 1905
pounds andin five months, q, 347 pounds.
Nor are these isolated cases by any
means, but are sufficient for our purpose
which is to show by contrast with the
dairy stock at hand what they can do.
Visitors to the large fairs in the west.
and readers of agricultural papers are
familiar with their color and makeup,
but are not so well posted as to their
qualities. In address delivered in New
York recently, Prof. Roberts says OF a
visit to Holland, where he saw them on
their native pastures:
81 had the good fortune during the
past summer to spend some time in
North Holland and Friesland, Here,
in ancient grass-bottom lakes, snatched
from the inroads of the sea by the great
LII 1oh ha n
known, found the ideal milk producer.
Here favored, yet unfavored by nature.
these clean, plain, intelligent Dutch
have reduced to science the economical
production of milk. OF course this could
not be done without good cow, and if
anywhere on the face of the globe there
exists a race of uniformly good mixers
the Dutch have them. care not what
+ a mans prejudices are, whether an ad.
mirer of the fawn-eyed Jersey, or, like
myself, of the lordly Shorthorn, the
noble Hereford or the piebali Ayrshire,
if he.really admires good cow, he can
not help falling in love with the pic.
turesaue Holstein, as seen in its native
pastures in the north counties. He may
return to his American home and con-
clude that his circumstances are better
adapted to some other breed, but he
will ever speak of them with praise. l
have said that they were race of good
mixers, but l have put it none too
strong when say truthfully that neither
from Beemster, Polder, northward, nor
in Friesland, did l see what might be
called poor COW, or even an old cow,
though saw many hundreds. Here are
people occupying lands which are sell
dom sold for less than $500 per acre,
more frequently for thousand and up
wards, and producing butter and cheese
for the European market in successful
competition with that produced on land
one.tenth of their value. With these
facts staring MS in the face, it looks
quite possible that we might learn some
thing of more economical production
from these miscalled dumb Dutch, not
withstanding they still cut their grass by
hand and wear wooden shoes.-Breeder
and Sportsman.