EARLY IMPORTATIONS. DUTCH. 51 



ony, and undoubtedly the earliest introduced into New 

 England, arrived in 1624. At the division of cattle 

 which took place in 1627, three years after, one or two 

 are distinctly described as black, or black and white, 

 others as brindle, showing that there was no uniformity 

 of color. Soon after this, a large number of cattle were 

 brought over from England for the settlers at Salem. 

 These importations formed the original stock of Massa- 

 chusetts. 



In 1625 the first importation was made into New 

 York from Holland, by the Dutch West India Company, 

 and the foundation was then laid for an exceedingly 

 valuable race of animals, which subsequent importations 

 from the same country, as well as from England, have 

 greatly improved. 



Dairy farming in some parts of Holland, it may be 

 remarked in passing, became a highly important branch 

 of industry at a very early date, and a large and 

 valuable race of dairy cattle existed there long before 

 the efforts of modern breeders began in England. 

 The attention of farmers there is at the present time 

 devoted especially to the dairy, and the manufacture of 

 butter and cheese. They support themselves, to a con- 

 siderable extent, upon this branch of farming; and 

 hence it is held in the highest respect, and carried to a 

 greater degree of exactness and perfection, perhaps, 

 than in any other part of the world. They are espe- 

 cially particular in the breeding, keeping, and care of 

 milch cows, as on them very much of their success 

 depends. The principles on which they practise, in 

 selecting a cow to breed from, are as follows: She 

 should have, they say, considerable size not less than 

 four and a half or five feet girth, with a length of body cor- 

 responding; legs proportionally short; a finely-formed 

 head, with a forehead or face somewhat concave ; clear, 



