174 AN AGRICULTURAL FAGGOT 



greatly improved from the original stock, partly by 

 crossing with the Shorthorn, notwithstanding the fact 

 that its amelioration was seriously checked by the war of 

 1870, and also by the ravages of cattle plague. While the 

 Flamande breed mingles with the Normande on the west, 

 on the east it is a good deal crossed with the Dutch breed, 

 which occupies a good part of the department of the Nord. 

 It is estimated that there are about 30,000 Dutch cattle in 

 France, but the influence of the breed is widely felt 

 throughout the dairying districts of the north and north- 

 east. 



The influence of the Shorthorn in France has been very 

 great, not only by the direct effect of crossing with the 

 native breeds, but also by providing the model, so to 

 speak, which breeders might attempt to copy in their 

 efforts to attain improvement of form and greater pre- 

 cocity. M. de Lapparent observes that there was a period 

 in France of a veritable infatuation for the Shorthorn, 

 which was regarded as the one source of amelioration for 

 any and every breed of cattle. As the French author of 

 a work on the " Races Bovines " of France, England, 

 Switzerland, and Holland, enthusiastically wrote, about 

 forty years ago, " Le Durham, voila le vrai type ameliora- 

 teur." But, with time and experience, it came to be 

 recognised that certain breeds responded best to its 

 influence, and its use became more limited. For nearly 

 seventy years pure Shorthorns have been bred in France, 

 and there are now many long-established herds of high 

 reputation. One of the best known is that of Pinceloup, 

 which we visited, and the owner, M. Thome, stated that he 

 had bred Shorthorns for forty-two years. It is somewhat 

 curious to observe, however, that the breeding of Short- 

 horns appears to be declining. In 1869 there were 

 305 Shorthorn herds in France, of which 130 were classed 

 as " important," and 175 as " secondary." In 1897 the 

 number was reduced to 200, of which 109 were important, 

 and 91 secondary. A remarkable exception to the general 



