CHAPTER XV 



FRENCH-CANADIAN 



The breed of dairy cattle which can, more nearly than any 

 other, claim America as its home is the one generally known as 

 the French-Canadian. Just when the first stock of this blood 

 reached America is not absolutely known, though thought to be 

 about 1620, or very soon thereafter. At any rate, in 1665, when 

 other animals were brought from Normandy and Brittany to 

 Quebec, cows were there discovered having the same character- 

 istics as those imported. The stock unquestionably came from 

 Northern France with the early settlers in the province of Que- 

 bec, Canada. Although there was for many years no particular 

 endeavor made to keep the blood pure it did remain essentially 

 pure, however, because of the very limited intercourse which 

 those pioneers had with the none too friendly English-speaking 

 people in the colonies. 



For a period of about 200 years the descendants of these early 

 importations have served the pioneers, cottagers, and small 

 farmers of eastern Quebec. While sharing the pioneer life of the 

 people who brought them they developed wonderful hardihood 

 and health, and yet retained in reasonably good measure their 

 dairy qualities. 



Since 1886 the interests of the breed have been fostered 

 and the breed itself materially improved by the French-Canadian 

 Cattle Breeders' Association. 



Body Characteristics. — The size of the French-Canadian is 

 about that of the Jersey, which breed they so very closely resem- 

 ble. Cows weigh from 700 to 900 pounds, though individuals 

 reach greater weight, and the bulls at maturity weigh from 1600 

 to 2000 pounds (Fig. 46). Though still rather coarse and with 

 an unfinished appearance, they are reasonably straight at top line, 

 with strong broad hips and full chests. Their color, though 

 ordinarily termed black, is not a true black in the sense of 

 the Holstein, but rather a deep seal-brown-black. They often 



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