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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



categOiies ; the foieigii breeJs were divided iuto five, and 

 the crossings into two. Tlie French breeds were re- 

 presented by 801 animals, divided among 19 different 

 denovi'maiions of breeds, rather than distinctive breeds. 

 Among this motley array of cattle, gathered from all 

 parts of France, there appears only six well-defined 

 types to which all the animals exhibited may be traced ; 

 and these are not only distinct from well-marked and 

 conspicuous traits, but also from the districts in 

 which they flourish. First, the Norman breed is chiefly 

 characterized by its large size, big bones, ill-shaped 

 and angular frame, and good milking qualities ; 

 it is of slow growth, and hard to fatten. Crossed with 

 the Shorthorns, it yields almost entirely its bad points, 

 without losing its good milking qualities. It was evi- 

 dent that many of the best specimens of this breed that 

 were exhibited at Paris had unmistakable traces of 

 Shorthorn blood ; anfl nearly all the prize takers 

 avowedly presented this hopeful peculiarity. The breed 

 chiefly flourishes amidst the rich pastures of Normandy; 

 which alone from their fertile and luxuriant character 

 seem capable of supplying it with an adequate fodder 

 at all commensurate with their enormous appetites. 

 Under any other circumstances it pines, »nd soon de- 

 generates. 



The next type is the Flemish, chiefly bred, as its de- 

 nomination shows, in the northern districts of France 

 bordering the Belgian frontiers. This breed is distin- 

 guished by its deep dark red colour, with dotted spots 

 of white about the face, and sometimes under the belly. 

 It is a large-legged, ill-shaped, gaunt race of cattle ; 

 slow feeder, but excellent milker — a quality greatly 

 prized by the French agriculturists, and one to which 

 our English breeders would do well to pay a little more 

 attention. 



The third type to which we would call cur readers' 

 attention is the Breton breed. This is chiefly cha- 

 racterized by its diminutive size, fineness of bones, 

 black and white colour, and milking qualities. This 

 very small breed flourishes on the poorer parts of Brit- 

 tany, and is a native of the heath-wastes of that pro- 

 vince ; as is sufficiently indicated by its diminutive- 

 ness. As will be seen hereafter, this musters stronger 

 than any other French breed, which would indicate 

 that it is held in greater esteem. There appears 

 to be several causes for the extraordinary taste of 

 French agriculturists for this pretty, but to all in- 

 tents and purposes useless breed. It is alleged that 

 it gives an extraordinary quantity of rich milk ; and 

 some appear to carry their enthusiastic infatuation 

 so far as to believe this milking fecundity associated 

 with a remarkably small consumption of food — a 

 fallacy which we need no argument to expose. It 

 is true that when well-fed, or fed to the same 

 amount as larger cows, this breed gives a supply of 

 milk somewhat larger than its size would lead to 

 suppose ; but this result is never attained except 

 in the most favourable circumstances, that is, when the 

 animal is supplied with an unlimited amount of rich and 

 nutritious food ; and we fully believe that, taking every- 

 thing into account, there is no breed of cattle so costly 



to maintain and so uiiprofiiiiblc in its returns. But it is 

 a cheap luxury to acquire. Formerly the best Breton cow 

 could be bought in any fair of Brittany at prices ranging 

 between £Z and £A ; and although fashion has given 

 them an artificial and wholly unwarrantable value, yet 

 with the easy sacrifice of a five pound note any French- 

 man can enjoy the luxury, and glory in calling himself 

 the owner of a dairy cow. It is lamentable, because to a 

 certain extent a characteristic trait of the motives which 

 actuate the proceedings of French agriculturists, that, 

 owing to their parsimonious habits, their dread of spend- 

 ing money in improving their lands, and perhaps their 

 want of capital, cliQaimess is the one great merit in 

 everything, be it implement, cattle, seed, or anything else. 

 Efficiency and durability only come next in their appre- 

 ciation. The Breton cattle are, however, capable of con- 

 siderable improvement. When bred on rich land, it in- 

 creases greatly in size and milking properties ; and 

 when crossed with Shorthorn blood, it yields a produce 

 remarkable for its fine quality of meat and its early 

 maturity ; but, nevertheless, we cannot call this morbid 

 because senseless taste of the French for this insignifi- 

 cant breed by any other name than a lamentable infatua- 

 tion, in which capital, energy, and valuable influence 

 are wasted and lost. 



The next type to which we will draw the attention of 

 our readers is the Charolaise, one of the most distinct 

 breeds of France, from the fixed character of its white 

 colour and peculiarity of shape. It closely resembles 

 our Shorthorns, especially about the head and horns ; 

 and many breeders eagerly seek white Shorthorn bulls 

 for crossing purposes, in order to impart to the breed 

 early development and maturity, increase of bulk, and 

 greater symmetry, without losing the distinctive cha- 

 racter of the breed, viz,, its white coat. Unfortunately, 

 as every one knows, this feature is one of the greatest 

 uncertainty in the Shorthorn breed ; and it often occurs 

 that a red or a roan calf is produced, to the great dis- 

 appointment of the Charolaise breeder. This breed of 

 cattle is chiefly reared in the department of the Cher, 

 Nievre, and AUier, that is, the central district of France. 

 The tribe, notwithstanding its form, is generally a slow 

 feeder and bad milker : crossed with the Shorthorns, its 

 quality improves in every respect. 



The fifth type consists in the working breed of Salers, 

 Auvergne, and Limousin. Their colour is generally 

 deep red, except the last, which is generally of a yel- 

 lowish brown tint, similar in character to nearly all the 

 southern breeds. These are very valuable animals for 

 the yoke ; and yielding in their old age, when worn out 

 by labour, beef of excellent quality. 



In the sixth and last type may be comprised all the 

 Femeline of Franche Comte, the Maraichine, Chole- 

 taise, and Nantaise in the western provinces of France ; 

 thus embracing a zone which extends from the extreme 

 frontier in the east to the western boundary of the At- 

 lantic, and passing south to the Mediterranean and 

 Pyrennees. The colour of all the breeds comprised in 

 that zone varies from the yellowish cream colour of the 

 Femeline to the rich and warm hue of the southern tribes, 

 where the colour closely resembles that of ripe wheat. 

 Others are also of what is called badger colour, that is a 

 pale whitish grey, on the back, neck, and head, getting 

 darker and darker, almost to brownish black, as it 

 reaches the under part of the belly and the lower extre- 

 mities-. Although some of these races,, particularly the 



