Year: 1873

Ter, ESQ, U. s. Consul from Amsterdam,
printed in the ApvlI,Feport of the Depart
ment of Agriculture 1t will interest the
readers Of the FARMER -


Although Dutch cattle are of one common
race yet there are many varieties, in time
produced through the influence Of climate
and soil, the greater or less degree of fertili-
ty of the latter particularly affecting the an-
imal in its development. Thus the Dutch
farmer talks of clay cattle, marsh cattle,
sandy.soil cattle, and heath cattle.


And now the question, What are the dis
tinguishing qualities of Dutch cattle =


l. Their milk.yielding properties in which
they surpass all other known breeds of cat
tie. Formerly the average yield of Dutch
COW has been 5000 Dutch cans of milk per
annum. AT the present day it cannot be
rated at over 1850 cans. This decrease in
milk-supply is not owing to deterioration
Of race, but to the bad practice of over
feeding the calves, habit which the Dutch
dairyman follows in imitation of the exam
pie set by his ancestors and which is carried
to the extreme.


In the nature Of animals it is fixed law
that food, over and above what is required
for sustenauce and growth, seeks an outlet,
thereby more than ordinarily developing one
or the other function Of the animal organ
ism. With cattle this surplus may take the
shape Of fat or meat. A calf receiving
more food than is required for its sustenance
and development must necessarily grow fat,
the milk channels not being opened. In this
manner tendency for accumulating fat is
created in the young organism at the expense
of the milk-yielding properties. On the
other hand, let the young animal be sparing-
ly fed up to its first and timely calving, sub
sequently to be put on a more liberal supply
of food, and the foundation for large milk.
supply is laid. Professor Hangeveld con.
sders calving in the early part Of the ami.
mails life, together with spare feeding prior
to that period, one of the chief conditions of
breeding good mixers; because by that proc
ess, ere the animal is yet fully developed, the
mik-producing organs are early exercised
and enlarged by an increased supply of blood f;
in other words, a good udder is attained


2, A further physiological quality of
Dutch cattle is their capacity for fattening.


1t is true they do not attain the enormous
weight of some English breeds; however,
this fact is entirely owing to the mode of
breeding adopted by the Dutch breeder, who
prefers good dairy stock to heavy beef cattle.


About century ago prize oxen weighed
5000 pounds, and prize cows 1900 to 1900
pounds. At the agricultural fair OF Gronin.
gen, lS49 there was on exhibition a four
year-old COW weighing 2O0O pounds. 1t is
beyond doubt that Dutch cattle and on their
native soil, too can be brought to as great
weight as the English and Swiss heavy
breeds, while it is generally acknowledged
that ths.meat Of Dutch cattle is more palat-
able Tan that of the so.caled fat races.


2. Another characteristic quality Of Dutch
cattle consists in their capacity of bringing
forth large and powerful calves which are
easily fattened. There are instances on rec
ord that fattened calves reached 400 old
D utch pounds, dressed weight. Their bulk
aud yigor endow them with considerable
power of endurance, and TO this popularity
it is partly to be attributed that the future
milch COW natures and prospers in spite of
the great hardships Dutch cattle are subject
ed to. They are turned out early in the
spring, and remain in the field until late in
the fall, without once tasting the luxury Of
stabling. And in climate like that Of
Holland, this is no trhing matter.


Here the report of the Paris (lS56) In
ternational Fair may be referred to, wherein
it is maintained that Dutch cattle, with
proper treatment and breeding, can rival the
best and nobest cattle.breeds of Europe, ir-
respective of their qualities as mixers.


A. As the last quality peculiar to Dutch
cattle, their stability of race must be named.
Artificial as we'll as natural influences brought
to bear upon them during centuries, the for
NOR with view to milk-supply, have given
them a constancy of outward form and phys
biological characteristics, to such a degree
that the same can be traced even after many
years Of propagation upon foreign soil.


The defects of Dutch cattle are few, and
conline themselves exclusively to the outward
form. Dutch cattle lack symmetry Of form
when compared with some cattle.breeds Of
other countries. Even the several varieties
of Dutch cattle, when compared with each
other, differ in the outward form. One is
bony, coarse and angular, while another is
to degree, smooth aud finely built. Yet
all possess the one fault in common 4. e., dis.
proportion between the bone and soft parts
the former being in excess, so that even in
fattened animals a certain degree of bonines'
can be observed


1t may also be said that, as genera
thing, they are provided with too long and
too heavy head in comparison to the length
and volume of the body They are further
frequently too long in the leg, and in but few
instances are they well developed about the


chest. Yet these shortcomings are the natu


raj results of the simple way Of keeping


and of the mode of breeding.


Butter aud milk are the chief products


of the Dutch farmer For centuries past h


has in breeding cattle, aimed at a plentiful
milk-supply, 10 obtain this large uddel
is required. Now, by continually exciting


and early exercising the milk-secreting OF