34*5 No7'ivay and tJie Norivegians 



the ground, but by packing it between the bars of 

 hurdles, which remain constantly standing in their fields 

 for this purpose. The pasture in the low-lying meadows 

 is often extremely abundant, though it is very apt to 

 be coarse, and is generally full of wild flowers. It is 

 chiefly in the lower pastures that we find water-meadows, 

 and in them that we see hay-making going on. In 

 order that the grass may be allowed to grow for this 

 purpose, the cattle are transported to higher pastures 

 among the mountains, where they are kept all the 

 summer months. This, again, is a custom which has 

 its parallel in the farming of Switzerland ; but nowhere 

 does it exist to such an extent as in Norway, to the life 

 of which country it has given one of its most char- 

 acteristic features. 



The mountain pastures of Norway are known by the 

 name of sceters. It is on account of the Iouq- duration 

 of winter there, and of its heavy snows that these 

 saeters have such a rich and short-lived vegetation, 

 of which it is necessary to make full use. To the 

 seeters the cattle of the lower lands are transported 

 for the whole period during which they are available. 

 This involves driving the beasts up steep mountain paths 

 which it would be impossilile for them to frequently 

 ascend and descend. Wherefore a colony of attendants 

 on the cattle is formed from the farm in the valley ; 

 and these attendants transport themselves to the sseters 

 practically for the whole summer. Cottages are built 

 for their accommodation. We have already spoken of 

 these one-roomed s£eter-houses, which are often not 

 even provided with a chimney. It is the fact that they 

 are only designed for summer use, which allows the 



