THE DAIRY BREEDS OF CATTLE 



301 



332. History. This breed is descended from the 

 Brown Switzer or Schwyzer cattle, established from a time 

 beyond historic record in the mountainous country of 

 Switzerland, especially in the Cantons of Zurich, Zug and 

 Schwitz or Schwyz. 



The first importation of Brown Swiss cattle, consisting 

 of seven cows and one bull, was made by Henry M. Clark, 

 of Belmont, Massachusetts, in 1869. They were subse- 

 quently sold to D. Hall, of Providence, Rhode Island, 

 and D. G. Aldrich, of Worcester, Massachusetts. From 

 them and subsequent importations by W. Koch and J. B. 

 Eldredge, of New York ; Scott & Harris, of Connecticut ; 

 E. M. Barton, of Illinois, and McCormick Brothers, have 

 sprung the 2500 bulls and 3700 cows since registered as 

 pure-bred cattle by the Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders' 

 Association. In 1904, McLaury Brothers, of New York 

 State, made a large importation. 



333. Description. As a breed the Brown Swiss cattle 

 are fairly large, the cows averaging 1200 pounds and the 

 bulls 1800 pounds, 



with a rugged form, 

 covered with a soft 

 mellow skin of unusual 

 thickness, giving the 

 animal a sleek appear- 

 ance. The color is a 

 shade from light to 

 dark chestnut brown. 

 The peculiar markings 

 are a light tuft of hair 



between the horns, on the inside of the ears and a narrow 

 line along the back. The nose is black, with mouth sur- 

 rounded with a meal-colored band; a yellow strip along 



FIG. 51. Brown Swiss bull. 



