BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE 131 



extremely hardy and very active for their size, being necessarily good 

 mountain climbers in their native country. 



M ilk and Butter. Developed as a dairy breed primarily, Brown 

 Swiss cows yield a generous flow of milk and hold out well. The 

 quality of milk is above the European average, 3% to 4 per cent of 

 fat being usual. Ordinarily 22 pounds of the milk of this breed will 

 make 1 pound of butter. 



The description given indicates that these cattle are good for beef 

 as well as for the dairy. They are almost always full-fleshed, easily 

 kept so, and readily fattened when not in milk. The flesh is said to 

 be fine-grained, tender, and sweet. A barren heifer in Minnesota 

 weighed 1,680 pounds; a mature cow in New York, fattened for 

 butcher, weighed 1,925 pounds, and made 1,515 pounds of beef. A 

 pair of Swiss steers at 13 months old weighed 2,200 pounds. The 

 calves are large, often 100 pounds at birth, and make a vigorous 

 growth. Weights of 400 to 600 pounds at 4 to 6 months of age are 

 not uncommon. Altogether, the Brown Swiss is able to present about 

 as strong a claim as any breed to being a profitable general purpose 

 cow. 



In their native country these cattle are ordinarily fed nothing 

 but hay, grass, or other green forage throughout the year, but they 

 respond promptly to more various and generous feeding. 



The Brown Swiss Breeders' Association in this country was or- 

 ganized in the year 1880 and has published several volumes of the 

 Swiss Record. The Brown Swiss of this country are owned mostly 

 in the States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Illinois, Wis- 

 consin, Iowa, Minnesota and Colorado. 



DEVONS. 



Origin and History. The peninsula which forms the south- 

 western portion of England is the home of a thrifty and attractive 

 race of deep-red cattle, which take their name from the elevated re- 

 gion in the north of Devonshire, where they have been brought to the 

 greatest evenness and fixity of type. 



If solid color throughout and resistance to variation in all parti- 

 culars be accepted as evidence of antiquity in a breed, the Devon must 

 be regarded as among the oldest and purest. It certainly is one of 

 the best defined of British breeds of cattle, although little is known of 

 its origin. It was undoubtedly very gradually developed. 



It is believed that Devons were among the very first cattle 

 brought across the Atlantic, reaching New England on the ship 

 Charity in the year 1623. Importations of some consequence were 

 made in 1800, and to New York soon afterwards, but the first herd 

 to be brought to this country and maintained pure, so that breeders 

 can still trace to it, was a present of a bull and six heifers from Hoik- 

 ham, sent directly to Mr. Robert Patterson, of Maryland, and arriv- 

 ing at Baltimore 'June 10, 1817. This Patterson herd has been kept 

 up during the greater part of the century. Other importations occur- 

 red in 1818, 1820, 1835, 1855, and frequently in later years. 



Characteristics. The characteristics of the Devon are compact- 

 ness and general beauty, hardiness, activity, intelligence, docility, 

 aptitude to fatten, and quality of milk. The prevailing red varies 



