ANIMAL INDUSTRIES 231 



on the Shorthorn grade cow was very popular in the 

 later seventies, and, until the reintroduction of Hol- 

 land cattle as Holstein-Friesians in the eighties held 

 undisputed sway. For three decades past the Jersey 

 and the Holstein-Friesian have contended for suprem- 

 acy. During the last decade several other breeds have 

 made first entry or have been reintroduced in im- 

 proved form and will become influential. At present, 

 however, one sees California dairy herds largely black 

 and white. 



It was about 1860 that the system of dairy tenantry 

 peculiar to California took form. In the coast region 

 near San Francisco the lands were largely covered 

 by Spanish titles, and these large tracts were cheaply 

 obtained by men who had some money and some 

 genius for finance. This coast region was seen to 

 have large rainfall, covering a long rainy season, and 

 therefore longer grazing and a cool summer. As all 

 these factors naturally made for cheap feeding and 

 easy milk-handling, it soon came to be thought that 

 the coast could have no rival in dairy production and 

 this impression prevailed for nearly a third of a 

 century until it finally yielded to the refrigerator 

 and the demonstration of the dairy value of alfalfa 

 grown with irrigation. 



While the impression of the dairy sovereignty 

 of the coast region prevailed, large tracts of land 

 were secured, dairy cattle were gathered, either by 

 importation or by crossing Mexicans and Texicans 

 with more or less pure-bred sires, also imported ; sheds 

 were built for milk racks, churns and vats; the cows 



