258 OATTLE AND DAIRY FARMING. 



size ; dewlap prominent ; flank short ; skin smooth, but rather thick 

 than fine ; step light and aspect lively ; very tractable and of good dis- 

 position. On the whole, this description pictures an animal without 

 many faults. The ox is a good worker, tough, energetic, and only needs 

 size and weight. 



Care and handling. It is said of them that they live and thrive 

 where European breeds would languish and die, submitted to the same 

 fare. 



In the spring they have abundant feed, but during the rest of the 

 year they live upon dry herbage, sunburnt or injured by the heavy 

 dust, while for drink they only have an insufficient quantity of brackish 

 water. Such is the carelessness of the Arabs that they fail to provide 

 forage for the winter, although the snow sometimes covers the earth 

 for fifteen consecutive days. They do not attempt to protect the cattle 

 from the cold of winter or from the excessive heat of summer, and the 

 cattle, submitted to all the vicissitudes of a variable climate like that of 

 Algiers, endure a deprivation of food more or less complete for nine 

 months of the year. It is not astonishing, therefore, that the mortality 

 of these cattle is great. 



The Algerian cow as a milker. The Algerian cow is a poor milker } 

 gives scarcely milk enough to nourish her calf, which the Arab woman 

 tries to take from her for the household. Only one of the four teats is 

 allowed for the calf. If this cow is a poor milker, as an offset its milk 

 is rich. The Arabs drink it fresh or sour, and make butter and cheese 

 by a barbarous process, a description of which would not be instructive. 

 This race has been crossed with the Schwitz, a native of the center of 

 Switzerland, with happy results, adding to the size and improving the 

 milking qualities.- Submitted to a good liberal regimen they have ex- 

 cited attention and admiration, and have yielded as high as 69 per cent, 

 net meat. In 1878 42,250 Algerian cattle were imported into France. 



MISCELLANEOUS BREEDS. 



This article might be extended to an indefinite length if attempt 

 were made to include many of other breeds and subbreeds, such as the 

 race Tarentaise ; the breed of the Black Mountain, termed " race de 

 la Montague noir ; " the race du Gevaudau, found in the department of 

 Herault, of small size, but said to be as old as poverty. I have en- 

 deavored to call attention to the more prominent breeds of cattle as 

 seen in their homes, and describing their surroundings, solely in the 

 hope of guiding the intelligent breeder in his search for the type of cat- 

 tle best adapted to the locality and the ends which he proposes to ac- 

 complish by importing the same. 



STATISTICS OF LA VILETTE, THE PARIS ABATTOIR. 



All of the large cities of France are supplied with abattoirs, or 

 slaughter-houses. The celebrated La Vilette, of Paris, combines the 

 advantages of a cattle market with a slaughter-house ; has ample ac- 

 commodations for housing 5,000 or 6,000 head of cattle, besides calves 

 and sheep. About 5,000 head of oxen are slaughtered here weekly, in 

 addition to the other animals. Upwards of 1,000 men are employed 

 here, and the streets are- paved. 



There are 64 large buildings, some for the doomed cattle and others 

 used as slaughter-houses. Fountains and tanks abound. These build- 

 ings cover about 67 acres, and the whole presents- the appearance of a 



