SWITZERLAND. 



297 



during the voyage. The Bordelaise steamship line charges $80 per 

 head from Bordeaux to New York. But the White Gross steamship 

 ]ine offers the following rates for live cattle from Antwerp to New York 

 or Boston: Adult cattle, per head, $39; yearlings, $34; calves, $30. 



These charges include also food and water for the animals during the 

 voyage, and free passage for the necessary men in charge of them. If 

 the cattle are unattended, an extra charge of $1 per head is made for 

 feeding and care during the passage. A car-load of cattle from. Basle 

 to Antwerp costs about $55, and as a car will carry from ten to twelve 

 head of ordinary sized cows, the net cost of transportation from here to 

 Few York or Boston can be very closely estimated. 



The importation of fine breeding cattle is, of course, expensive under 

 even the most favorable conditions, but the economic advantages of 

 establishing the Brown and Spotted cattle races of Switzerland in the 

 United States would seem to be so obvious as to fully justify whatever 

 expenditure such enterprise may involve. 



FRANK H. MASON, 



Consul. 



UNITED STATES CONSULATE, 



Basle, November 22, 1883. 



SWISS CATTLE STATISTICS. 

 [Inclosures in Consul ^Mason's (Basle) report.] 

 Bernese Spotted (Saanen Simmentkal) "breed. 



Principal markets: Cantons of Uri, Schwytz, and Ztig. 



Habitat. Central and Western Switzerland. 



Color. Bernese Spotted: White, with light red, yellow, or dark-red spots. Brown 

 Sclucytzcr : Brown or inonse color; bulls darker, same color. 



How long bred pure. Bernese Spotted: Many centuries. Brown Schwytzer : Since be- 

 fore authentic history. 



Origin. Bernese Spotted: Possibly Holland, but the race has been refined and im- 

 proved in Switzerland. Brown Schwytzer: Canton Schwytz, Switzerland. 



Working qualities. Bernese Spotted : The best working race of cattle in Switzer- 

 land ; believed to be unsurpassed in Europe. Brown Scliwytzer : Works well in yoke, 

 but is not bred for that purpose. 



Principal markets. Bernese Spotted : Erlenbach, Saanen, Z weisimraen. Brown ScJiwyt- 

 zei': Cantons of the Schwytz and Zug. 



Other varieties. The Frieburg breed is similar to the Bernese Spotted, but has 

 black spots. Minor breeds of Spotted Swiss are (1) Frutig Adelboden; color, red 

 and white ; principal market, Reichenbach, Canton Bern j (2) Walliser, smaller, 

 varied colors. 



