138 HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN CATTLE 



milk flow, but the milk is low in fat content. The climate 

 is variable, and subject to considerable extremes; but pas- 

 turage is good for practically six months of every year. The 

 cattle are blanketed while at pasture, to protect them from 

 flies; and heavier blankets are used to protect them from 

 spring and fall storms. Dairying with special regard to 

 cheese-making, is the chief business, and the cattle barns 

 are usually built as a part of the house; the doors opening 

 directly from the living rooms to the cow stalls. Most of 

 the dairy work is done by women; the barns are kept scrupu- 

 lously clean, and the cows themselves are treated with more 

 consideration than the children often are. The feed is in 

 large part of coarse fodder, very little concentrated feed 

 being given. 



While the Dutch have constantly bred to improve the milk- 

 ing qualities of their cows, it cannot be said that they have 

 displayed any particular ability in so doing, and breeding 

 records are, with them, a thing of recent date. For the most 

 part the present status of the breed in Holland is due to 

 environment, and long continued breeding without introduc- 

 tion of alien blood. The breed is probably as old as any 

 known, ranking with the Brown Swiss and Galloway in this 

 respect. 



