26 Sweden. 



modities here, that the cows are not better looked after. The cow- 

 byres are in general low, dark, and dirty, and the cows scarcely 

 ever well done by. In the middle of Sweden they come in about 

 the beginning of October, and hardly ever leave the byre again 

 till May. During the summer they pasture in the forest and grass 

 lands ; and during winter their food is often little more than rye- 

 straw, with a small proportion of hay. The race of cows peculiar 

 to the country are small, hardy little animals, and the general yield 

 of milk is 300 kanna (one kanna is equal to two-thirds of an 

 English gallon) per year ; but when taken care of they will often 

 double that. About 3/. to 4/. is the price of an in-calver here. 

 Milk with the cream in the country may be averaged at 3^. per 

 kanna j butter 6d. to yd. per pound, and cheese at all prices from 

 zd. to yd. They say the annual yield of every cow is ^/. I 

 confess I can hardly see it. And in general they seem to think 

 much more of the produce of their cows than of their crops. 

 Many shorthorns are imported from England to improve the breed, 

 and I have no doubt, with care, the desired end will be effected. 

 But these fine-bred English cattle will require a little different 

 treatment from the rough Swedish cows, or, to use a horsedealer's 

 phrase, they will soon "fly all to pieces j" and were I going to 

 stock a farm here to-morrow, I should stick to the native breed, 

 feed and tend them better, and I am very doubtful in the long run 

 whether they would not be found to answer best. As long as milk 

 is the principal desideratum, I am convinced, with the keep they 

 now get, the little Swedish cows are the best ; but when they get 

 the land to carry better crops, and commence stall-feeding, the 

 large English breed will, of course, improve the meat. 



The sheep, however, have been much improved by crosses with 

 our Cheviots and Leicesters j and considering the price of wool, 

 and the immense quantity that is annually required for warm winter 

 clothing, I wonder that sheep-farming is not more attended to. I 

 don't suppose that in the very north they could live ; and in the 

 midland districts they will sometimes be under cover for six months 

 out of the twelve. Their principal food at this time is hay and 



