The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1904-11-15
The HoIstein.F riesians at Home.

ers' Association not long ago S. HoXle,
one of the beSt-knOWn breeders OF
Holstein-Friesians in the country,
spoke as follows:
"Holstein-Friesian cattle have been
produced by an environment in which
the peasant farmers of North HOl-
land and Friesland have unconsciOusly
taken large and very essential part.
These peasants are the descendants
of the ancient triesians, of which
Tacitus wrote nearly two thousand
years ago, that they were peaceable
cattle breeders dwelling on the shores
of the North sea. How they were
then protected in this peaceable occu-
patton amid the rowing, piratical tribes
that surround them is unknown. They
claim to have never been conquered,
but admit that their ancient ancestors
formed an alliance with the Roman
Empire and paid to it an annual trib
ute of OK hides and horns.
1t is almost impossible for an
American farmer to imagine the in
tense conservatism of these peasant
farmers, especially those of Friesland,
where the ancient blood is pure. Here
they use the ancient Friesian DIALECT
in conversing with one another, al
though educated in their very excel
lent common schools exclusively in
the Holland or Dutch language. They
seldom intermarry with other races,
and evidently cherish an adherence
to such unions. They apparently have
no ambitions beyond dwelling with
and handling cattle. Doubtless they
constitute the wealthiest class of
peasantry in Europe, yet they refuse
to be regarded other than third class
people. In North Holland, where
there is a considerable mixture of
Celtic blood, this conservatism is not
so intense, and farmers are some
times called to high positions of state.
"The conservative spirit that | have
thus described, together with the soil,
climate and the influence of markets,
must be largely credited with produc-
ing the characteristics of this breed,
to which we American breeders have
given the name Holstein-Friesian.
"The first thing we note is the nat
ural richness of the soils. Those on
which the cattle are bred and used
in dairy husbandry generally range
from light to exceedingly heavy clays,
although some fine herds are found
on loan and peat soils. The larger
cattle are found on the heavier SOILS.
So important in the development of
cattle do breeders regard the infiu-
ence of soils their herd books require
that the kind of soil on which the
animal is bred and raised shall be
published in it's entry. In their view
the value of pedigree may be deter
mined to some extent by the soils on
which the animals included in it
were bred. | do not propose to draw
any differences in this paper as to the
value of the various features of the
environment that | shall try to de-
scribe. I leave this for the discus
sion that | hope will follow.
The second thing we note is the
climate and the provisions made
against it's extreme severity in win
ter. 1t is said that the ice freezes
on the ii, an arm of the Zuyder Zee,
at Amsterdam, to the depth of three
and a half feet The region is
stormy one in winter, it lies so ex-
posed to the sleets and blasts of the
North Sea. Against these the cattle
must be protected. Immense struc-
tures-called the houses or barns