306 CATTLE AND DAIRY FARMING. 



(c) The Ormonds, Illiez, and Lotschen breeds, whose homes are in the 

 high mountain dales of the cantons of Freiburg, Vaud, and Yalais, and 

 only weigh from 400 to 700 pounds. 



The Swiss breeders hope in the near future to entirely wipe out these 

 inferior offshoots of the principal Spotted breed under the governmental 

 system of assisting in the improvement of agriculture. 



THE BROWN SCHWYTZER BREED. 



The Brown Schwy tzer is considered the dairy breed par excellence of 

 Switzerland. 



When pure they are more or less light or dark brown, with muzzle 

 quite black, and ringed with cream color ; horns white, with black tips, 

 and medium size ; and a very distinguishing light-gray streak running 

 from the horns down the back to the root of the tail. They are some- 

 what smaller than the Spotted breed, but are of beautiful formand com- 

 pactly built, as the following measurement will show : 



Measure in centimetws. 



In judging this breed the color plays a far more important part than 

 in the Spotted breed. The color most desired is the very dark brown, 

 which indicates the purer blood. 



The hide, hair, and bones are much liner, and the milk organs much 

 better developed, than in the Spotted breed. The flesh is also of a much 

 finer fiber, and, consequently, sweeter and tenderer, than the larger 

 breed. 



It is claimed that the Brown Schwytzer not only gives more milk, but 

 that it is richer than that of any other European breed of cattle. They 

 are estimated to produce from 1J to 2 quarts more milk per day than 

 the large Simmenthal cow. I have just returned from a visit to the 

 stables of Mr. Kuhn, of Degersheiin, the largest pure-blooded breeder 

 of the Brown Schwytzer in Switzerland, and he tells me that his herd 

 of forty cows average from 17 to 20 quarts of milk per day. Of course 

 this is an exceptional case, but it demonstrates fully what this breed is 

 capable of under good treatment. 



The original home of the large Brown Schwytzer was in the cantons 

 of St. Gall, Schwytz, Zurich, Glarus, Lucerne, Unterwalden, Graubiin- 

 den (lower part), and Appenzell, but they are now largely distributed 

 all over Switzerland, and in portions of Germany, Italy, and France. 

 Many of the best young cows of this breed are bought up by Italian 

 farmers and drovers, through their agents in this country. They pay 

 from 400 to 800 francs per head, and for extra fine ones as high as 1,200 

 francs is often paid at the central cattle markets at Chur and Schwytz. 



MISCELLANEOUS SWISS BREEDS. 



In addition to the large Brown Schwytzer every valley and neighbor- 

 hood in East Switzerland has its own small cross-breed, generally from 

 the Brown Schwytzer. 



