SWITZERLAND. 



293 



BERNESE A^D BROWN SCHWYTZER BREEDS. 



The collection of official photographs which accompanies this report 

 exhibits first-prize cattle of the Bernese, Freiburg, and brown Schwyt- 

 *er breeds at the national exhibition held at Luzern in 1881. These 

 pictures represent in sufficient variety the most perfect specimens of 

 the two races, and will fully justify and confirm the high estimate in 

 which the pure-bred Swiss cattle are held by stock-breeders of all coun- 

 tries. As to which race is best for transplanting to the United States, 

 experience only can determine, for even in Switzerland the palm of 

 superiority between the two is still in dispute. 



The dairymen at Appenzell, the clever monks at Einsiedeln, and 

 Mr. George Page, the capable American manager of the Anglo-Swiss 

 Condensed Milk Company, prefer the brown race. 



President Banmgartner, whose experience and observation include 

 many choice herds of both races in various cantons, as well as the 

 famous dairymen of the Emmenthal, and a number of cantonal gov- 

 ernments which have made elaborate experiments upon farms attached 

 to public institutions, all these unquestionable authorities prefer de- 

 cidedly the spotted race. 



In respect to size, the merits of two races will be accurately shown 

 by the following figures, which represent the average measurement of 

 the premium cattle at a recent fair in Langenthal. The figures given 

 are the mean result derived by measurements of from eleven to twenty- 

 eight animals in each class : 



Length in these measurements means from the base of horns to the root of the tail. 



HOW SWISS CATTLE ARE HERDED, HOUSED, AND FED. 



It has been stated in former reports from this consulate that dairying 

 and cattle-growing are each year becoming more important in Switzer- 

 land and supply a constantly increasing percentage of the gross income 

 which is earned by the agricultural population. The reasons for this 

 are : 



First. By reason of uncertain seasons the small percentage of arable 

 laud in this country and its consequent high value, added to the com- 

 petition of cheap breadstuffs from Hungary, Russia, and the United 

 States have made wheat-raising much less profitable than dairying and 

 stock-growing. 



Second. The present improved methods which prevail in the Swiss 

 cattle industry enable the farmer to utilize every rood of accessible soil 

 from the rich valleys to the highest pastures of the Alps and Jura, and 

 the industrious care which he devotes to the feeding and raising of cat- 

 tle enable him to realize the largest financial result from the smallest 

 area of salable land. 



