FRANCE. 241 



markable for their milking qualities. The center of production and 

 rearing of the best specimens of the breed "Flamande" is in the de- 

 partments of the north of France, in the rich pastures of Bergues, 

 Dunkirk, Cassel, Bailleul, Hazebrouek, and Lille. 



We meet with less numerous herds, more or less distinct arid pure, 

 in Boulonnais (termed Boulounaise), in Artois (Artesienne), in the de- 

 partments of the Somme, Oise, and Aisne (there termed "Picarde"), 

 jpon the borders of the Sarnbre (Maroillaise), and about Bordeaux 

 Bordelaise). The Bretonne breed has contributed its share to the 

 L reduction of the latter variety of this race. 



In its original home there are two varieties of this breed, that of the 

 region of Bergues and that of Cassel. 



The variety of Bergues, or Berguenarde, has slightly greater length 

 of horns, is thicker set, and is adapted to fattening and yielding milk. 

 It is carefully maintained for both purposes. The animals reared about 

 Cassel are finer and more sought for, being preferable to those of Ber- 

 gues for dairy purposes. 



Description. The Flamande breed is essentially valuable for the 

 dairy, and incidentally only for food, and is not adapted to work, and 

 is destined to predominate in the dairies of the northeast of France. 

 I will therefore more particularly describe some of the peculiar features 

 of the cow of this breed. 



The head of a good cow is fine, of conical form, rather long; the 

 nape of the neck thinly covered with hair; the horns wide apart, fine 

 throughout, projecting forward and downward, and in such a manner 

 that in some animals they bend back and touch the forehead; they are 

 small, white or yellow, with black tips; the ear is blunt, moderately 

 large, and covered with fine hair ; the eyes projecting arid black, with a 

 mild expression ; the forehead long, and ordinarily narrow, terminates 

 in a snout slightly protruding, of black or mixed color; the neck long 

 and thin; the brisket is prominent and well hung; the withers, well 

 developed in the best types of Bergues, are small in ordinary specimens ; 

 the line of the back is straight, with a slight depression at the junc- 

 tion of the back with the loins, due to the separation of the vertebra 

 greater strength of spine and loins would be desirable; the hips, often 

 protruding, measure between one another from 24 to 26 inches ; the 

 uttocks are equally prominent and wide apart; the base of the tail is 

 _ w, sometimes a little raised by the protrusion of the sacrum, of which 

 the line is not sufficiently grounded with that of the coccygeal bones ; 

 the tail is fine and long, terminating in a. thin tuft of hair; the chest is 

 narrow and confined, and the ribs rather flat (the cattle raised in 

 Bergues and Cassel have a tendency to lose these defects) ; the belly is 

 of moderate size, but ample towards the flanks and mammary region, 

 of which the loins are well developed and occasionally forked ; the bag 

 large, round, often of a brown or spotted color, and well hung ; the 

 teats are of moderate size, covered with fine skin and soft hair; the 

 shoulders rather flat and moderately muscular ; the hoofs black ; legs 

 flat and the buttocks sometimes depressed ; the coat reddish brown, 

 ordinarily of deeper tint towards the head, and sometimes there ap- 

 pears on the flanks, on the head, and especially on the cheek, white or 

 speckled spots, and these are considered signs of pure blood. Many of 

 this breed are found in Flanders of bright-red color or deep brown, 

 others roan, but the reddish brown is considered the type of the race. 



The traits sought for by the breeders of this race in the cow are those 

 which would indicate an aptitude for milking, without an inclination 

 tor fattening; a certain harmony of form, a little gaunt rather than too 

 H. Ex. 51 16 



