832 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



rising at times to 125 to loO poimds. An American dairyman would 

 see little about these cows indicative of economic dairy quality, and 

 would hardly choose them for "dual purpose" animals, yet some 

 cows among them are claimed to be very profitable. The calves are 

 simply marvelous, in size, thrift, rai)id growth and fatness, making 

 veal of the highest quality and selling at prices which make one of 

 the most important sources of farm revenue. Good calves, 6 to 

 8 weeks old, often sell for -125 to .|30 each. I saw carcasses of veal 

 several times which weighed 250 jjounds and over; these calves, 

 when alive, must have weighed over 400 pounds, and they Avere not 

 two months old. The cattle roam in extensive pastures, often at 

 some distance from the farmstead. During the very long pasture 

 season, including parts of winter, the female members of the farm- 

 er's family, or laborers, usually women, may be seen twice a day 

 traveling over the farm lanes and country roads, in little donkey 

 carts or mounted on donkevs, and surrounded bv numerous milk 

 pots or cans, closely resembling those used in Jersey, but running 

 in larger sizes. The cows are sought in the fields and often found 

 much scattered. They are not called and do not come up to be 

 milked. The milkers pass from cow to cow, and kneeling on the 

 ground, or in the position kuov.n as "sitting on one's heels," milk 

 with both hands or one, directly into the small mouth of the milk 

 pot, or, in somewhat rare cases, onto a strainer cloth stretched over 

 these openings. The can covers are carried along and when a can 

 is full, the cover is put on, and the can left standing on the ground, 

 perhaps in full sunlight, until the end of the milking. The hours 

 from 5 to 7 form the milking period, at both ends of the day. When 

 completed, the donkey (which has meanwhile been grazing and wan- 

 dering about, perhaps carrying the cans to the most distant part of 

 the field) is driven around to pick up the scattered vessels of milk, 

 which are then carried to the farmhouse. The building is almost 

 always of stone, and on a shady side a room has been set apart, Avith 

 very thick walls, one or two small v/indows, and a stone floor, for 

 keei)ing the milk. Often it is empty except for the supply of heavy, 

 earthenware jars which hold from 12 to 20 quarts of milk apiece. 

 These are called terrines (earthen jars) and chmidlers (warmers). 

 These vessels stand upon the floor or on a permanent bench around 

 two or three sides of the room. Into them the milk is strained on 

 arriving from the field, and atmospheric temperatures alone de- 

 pended upon for cooling. Natural ice and cold water are scarce 

 articles hereabouts. These milk rooms are never cold, but, on the 

 other hand, they never get very warm, even in mid-summer. They 

 are kept well Avhitewashed and scrupulously clean, in Normandy, 

 and considering the large bulk of milk set in one vessel, and the 

 want of care prior to straining away, the milk keeps sweet an aston- 



