290 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



quality, as a meat-produciug machine, it would be worthless. It is also what 

 may be termed a good grass hog; that is, it will thrive and fatten on good 

 clover or blue grass pasture. It has another good quality. Its color is right ; 

 a black or spotted hog will carry a smooth and healthy skin through rain and 

 sun, through heat and cold, where a white hog will have a sore back, cracked 

 ears and a mangy appearance. 



One thing more and I will not weary your patience longer. The marketing 

 of your hogs is another important item in the scale of profit ; keep posted in 

 the market, and when you sell, sell to a man you have confidence enough in to 

 believe he will give you fair weight if you are not looking at the scale beam. 

 These may be small matters, but remember that all successful business is made 

 80 by looking after the particulars, each one of which is necessary to make the 

 whole complete. 



HOLSTEIN CATTLE. 



BY JOS. MERKICK. 

 [Read at Trent Institute.] 



The Holstein, a Dutch breed of cattle, said to have originated in the duchy 

 of Holstein, and perfected iu Holland, wliose cows were acknowledged to be 

 the most celebrated throughout northern Europe, is perhaps the purest breed 

 of cattle in existence, it never having been esteemed necessary by the improv- 

 ers of this race to cross in other breeds. Originating, as it did, in a country 

 where dairy husbandry is a leading feature in agriculture, and was, centuries 

 before English breeders began the improvement of their now famous Dur- 

 hams, Devons, Herefords, Short-horns, etc., we must immediately grasp the 

 idea that the breed certainly includes numerous good points, or to-day it could 

 not be par excellent, with a people famous even in the seventh century (nearly 

 1,200 years ago) for the most famous cattle in existence. 



In the year 1864 there were 943,214 cows in Holland, which exported her 

 surplus butter, 32,000,000 lbs, and cheese, 61,000,000 lbs. When we come 

 to reflect that it is in the north of Holland that the Holstein has been brought 

 to its present degree of perfection, and that the agriculturists of that district 

 concentrate their whole energies upon butter and cheese making, and have 

 gained a world wide reputation for these products, we are impelled to believe 

 that their favorite Holsteins are famous milch cows at least. 



Our own observations will bear us out in the assertion, that for milking 

 qualities this breed stands unrivaled at the head of all others. 



I believe that a comparison of well authenticated statistics will prove this to 

 the satisfaction of the most skeptical. It is not my purpose to disparage other 

 breeds that the Holsteins may stand out pre-eminent as milkers, butter mak- 

 ers, or cheese producers, but in this brief article to give a concise sketch of 

 their origin, appearance, and leading characteristics. Their origin we have 

 already noticed ; of their appearance we will now say, the color of pure bred 

 Holsteins is black and white, either color may predominate, handsomely 

 and distinctly marked sometimes with large patches of black, but generally 



