Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-10-17
nolssei,, cattle.

This 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
fayorably with the best bred Jerseys, be-
sides making double their weight when
marketed for beef.
In saying this we mean no disrespect
to the docile and fawn-like Jersey, the
net 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 wellearned merits
and is able to hold her own against all
corners.
But the Jersey has her place no moro
surely, and holds it with no more cer-
tainty than does the Holstein hers, and
it is because the latter's place has not
beeu recognized that we wish to direct
attention to it.
To show what that is, we gather few
facts and figures to see what they teach
us. One 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, 1867 pounds in the month
of May, and in five months, 1878 pounds
A heifer dropped her calf when little
under two years old and gave in one day
56 pounds. in thirty-one days. l,606
pounds, aud in five months, 6,347 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 IA
m liar with their color and makeup, but
are not 80 well posted as to their quail
ties. In an address delivered in New
York recently, Prof. Roberts says OF o
visit to Holland. where he saw them on
heir native pastures.
81 had the good fortune during the
past summer to spend some time in North
Holland and Friesland. Here, in ancient
grass -bottomed lakes, snatched from the
inroads of the sea by the greatest skill
and labor the world has ever known,
found the ideal milk producer. Here fav-
ored, yet unfavored by nature, these
clean, plain, intelligent Dutch have re.
duced to science the economical produc-
tion of milk. OF course this could not
be done without good cow, and if any
where on the face of the globe there ex-
lists race of uniformly good mixers the
Dutch have them. l care not what q
mans prejudices are, whether an admir-
er of the fawn. eyed Jersey, or, like my
self, of the lordly Shorthorn, the noble
Hereford or the piebald Ayrshire, if he
really admires good COW, he canno-
help falling in love with the picturesque
Holstein, as seen in its native pastures
in the North counties. He may return
to his American home and conclude 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 l say
truthfully that neither from Beemster
Folder, northward, nor in Friesland, did
1 see what might be called poor COW,
or even an old COW, though l saw many
hundreds. Here are people occupying
lands which are seldom sold for less than
$500 per acre, more frequently for thou.
sand and upwards, and producing butter
and cheese for the European market in
successful competition with that pro.
duced on land one-tenth of their value.
With these facts staring us in the face,
it looks quite possible that we might
learn something of more economical pro.
ductionfrom these miscalled dumb Dutch,
notwithstanding they still cut their grass
by hand and wear wooden shoes. -
Breeder and Sportsman.