GERMANY. 405 



been on the increase. Particularly in the Simmenthal* the demand ex- 

 ceeds the supply. The live weight of a Simmon thai cow ranges from GOO 

 to 750 kilograms (Fig. 2). The oxen vary from MOO to 1,000 kilograms. 

 Milk of the Simmenthal cows is sweet and contains much fat. 



SWISS OE RIGI BREED. 



The cattle of the Swiss or Rigi race are very large and heavy ; live 

 weight, from 750 to 800 kilograms. The muscles and bones are heavy 

 and strong, and the body in general well developed. Color is dark- 

 brown to light gray, with light yellow about the belly. This breed re- 

 quires much food and is hard to get accustomed to strange climates. 



MONTAFUN BREED. 



Next to the Simmenthal in importance is the Montafun Valley. It 

 lies south of Bludenz, in Tyrol, and is about 50 miles long, is very pop- 

 ulous, and has rich pastures. The lower parts of the valley are watered 

 by the river 111. The fields yield summer wheat, rye, barley, oats, po- 

 tatoes, and flax. Labor is done in the fields entirely with the spade, 

 and even the wagons used on these farms are drawn by human hands. 



The Montafun cow (Fig. 3) belongs also to the heavy race. The live 

 weight is from 450 to 500 kilograms. The oxen are proportionally large 

 and heavy. A still heavier breed is obtained by crossing it with the Rigi 

 breed. The bones of the Montafun cattle are strong and of middling 

 sizes, color similar to the Rigi breed, mouth, ears, and back being a 

 little lighter. A dark- brown color is preferred. The head is large and 

 broad, horns white at the base and changing to black towards the ends, 

 neck of medium size, with a large dew-lap. The limbs are well formed, 

 udder large, and indicating a good supply of milk. With good feeding 

 each cow will y;eld 2,000 to 2,500 liters of milk yearly, which, owing to 

 its richness in fat, is used chiefly for making butter and cheese. Ow- 

 ing to the superiority of this breed the cattle are frequently exported. 

 There is an annual market at Schruus (1,956 feet above the level of the 

 sea) in September, and the cows bring an average of 150 to 240 marks 

 a head. The sale, though, of the bettor specimens of these cows, is said 

 to have somewhat impaired the home breed. 



ALGAU BREED. 



This breed comes from the Algau Mountains, in Wurtemberg and Ba- 

 varia. (Fig. 4.) The cows are a little smaller than the Montafun breed, 

 but they are quite distinguished in Wurtemberg, Bavaria, and Saxony 

 for giving large yields of milk that contain much fatty substance. In 

 fact, the Algau cows of Saxony are said to surpass all other breeds 

 there for producing milk, as the following figures of the comparative 

 quantities of milk will show : 



Cans.t 



Native cows 23.16 



Oldenburg 24.25 



Amsterdam 25.56 



Algau}: 27.38 



* It is said that the best cheese is made upon pastures 3,000 feet above the level of 

 the sea, in the vales of Simrne and Saanen, and in the Emmenthal. The best cows 

 there yield in summer between MO and 40 pounds of milk daily, and each cow pro- 

 duces by the end of the season of four months 2 hundred-weight of cheese. 



t A Dresden can is equal to 0.933 liter. 



t About 12 cans of the milk of the Algau cow are required to give 1 pound of butter, 

 while there are 14 cans of milk necessary from the Dutch cow. 



