The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-08-20
Editorial NOtings.

doomed by number of wealthy specu-
lators and breeders for the past fifteen
years under the false and misleading
name of Holsteins." A number of
very honest breeders of these cattle re-
fused to adopt that name, yet did not
like the plain title of Dutch or Holland
cattle. So they took up an ancient
name of that country, and styled their
wealth was in the hands of the Hol-
stein ring, and the two associations
were finally united under the prepos-
ferrous name of Holstein-Friesian -
These black and white cattle never had
any more connection with the duchy of
Holstein than the English Shorthorns
or Devons. They are, as race and as
breed, pure Holland cattle-natives of
the present kingdom of the Neither
lands, commonly called Holland, the
people of which are known as
"Dutch," though the name is often
improperly applied to the Germans.
THAT we are not opposed to this
breed of cattle can easily be shown by
our whole record as an agricultural
editor. So far back as August, 1871,
we published in the Vermont Farmer,
of which we were then editor, an His
torical Sketch of the Dutch Cattle in
the United States" in which the his
torian, Motley, Professor Silliman, and
number of other writers familiar with
them in their native country, were
quoted in regard TO their merits. In
this and subsequent articles we gave an
account of the first introduction of
these cattle into the United States,
early in this century, by Consul Jarvis,
who brought herd of them "a bull and
five cows) to his farm in Weathers-
field, Vt. This herd was maintained
in its purity for many years; but that
strain has since been crossed up and
lost, we believe, by interbreeding with
later importations. We were quite fa-
miliar with large herd of the descend
ants of that stock, owned by Thomas
Baker of Barton, Vt. He obtained his
start from the herd of the late Carlos
Pierce of Stanstead, p. O., with which
we were also acquainted. There is
probably not an agricultural writer in
America who has had more or longer
opportunities than ourself to form a fair
judgment of this stock.
THE Jarvis herd was imported be-
fore the attempt to combine beef with
milk had been made by the Dutch
breeders, and were considerably less
in size than the Chenery and other late
importations. But they were not in
ferior as mixers, and were far better
suited to our billy Vermont pastures.
Their record as mixers was very good ,
and as butter-makers they were quite
equal to the best selected natives of
that time, or perhaps since. In many
respects their characteristics were much
like the Ayrshires, but they had larger
teats and were more easily MIXED.
They never made high-colored or high
favored butter, but it was remarkably
firm, and kept well.
THE marked popularity of the Dutch
cattle is the profusion of their yield of
milk. They are bred for deep milking,
with very little attention to quality.
In fact, in those early days very little
attention was paid anywhere to the
quality of milk. 1t was supposed to be
always about the same thing, and cows
were ranked entirely according to the
quantity given. Dairying, as bust
ness, was then in its infancy.
IT was not until the introduction of
the Jerseys that notice began to be
widely taken of differences in milk.
One who happened to acquire Jersey
COW was so surprised with the heavy
yield of rich cream on her moderate
mess of milk that the matter began to
be generally discussed, and farmers
gradually recognized that there was
really choice in cows for butter.
making. The consequences of this
change are now widespread, and the
facts are basic facts, upon which oul
butter dairying rests.
WHAT we do object to, and always
have objected to, is the pushing to the
front, by the extensive and persevering
advertising of wealthy breeders an(
spectators, of the Holland cattle al
the best butter breed To be sure, i
has had very little influence here il
Vermont, for the mind of the Vernon
dairyman has been pretty well made
up for some time that the Jersey COW
is what he wants. We are breeding VI
a class of Jerseys and Jersey grade