No. 4.] DAIRYING IN FRANCE. 121 



DAIRYING IN FRANCE. 



BY MAJOR HENRY E. ALVORD, CHIEF OF DAIRY DIVISION, UNITED 

 STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Dairying is a prominent feature of the agriculture of 

 France, and the industry takes very different forms in differ- 

 ent parts of the country. It is therefore necessary to travel 

 about, and often in paths not frequented by tourists, in order 

 to find the places of special dairy interest. 



After a visit to the islands of the English channel and 

 the homes of Guernsey and Jersey cattle, one may cross the 

 narrow strip of sea, only 15 miles wide, and land upon 

 the west coast of France, in the old province of Normandy. 

 Any one of a number of little towns, all noted as dairy 

 centres, will answer as a stand-point from which to get a 

 view of Normandy, its cattle and its butter making. Caren- 

 tan is a good location, a place of about 3,000 inhabitants, at 

 the head of an inlet or arm of the sea, which is kept dredged 

 so as to afford navigation for 12 miles down to the English 

 channel at Isigny. The farms in this vicinity are quite 

 large, and mainly in grass. It is a tide-water region, and 

 much of the land is low. The pastures are permanent and 

 the herbage superb. 



The very best of the Normandy cattle, of which France is 

 so proud, — the Cotentin strain, — here abound. They are 

 large, coarse, heavy-boned, but sleek and fat. In color they 

 are red, brown and white, spotted and brindled. They 

 have a very wide, heavy, homely face and muzzle, but good 

 full eyes. The udders are often large, but irregular in shape, 

 with very large and puffy teats. Good cows average 8 to 

 10 quarts a day for 10 months, or 5,000 to 6,000 pounds of 

 milk per year. It requires 12 quarts of milk in the winter 

 and 15 in the summer to make 1 pound of butter. The 



