GERMANY. 465 



the Messkirch district were small, of a fine structure, red in color, 

 short but pointed head, and strong, short horns. They were very pro- 

 ductive in milk, and frugal regarding their fodder. Toward the year 

 1830, however, the stock-breeders began to import bulls from the Swiss 

 cantons of Zurich and Schwy tz, and soon a great change was observed. 

 This was first done in Messkirch, but the example was immediately fol- 

 lowed by all stock-breeders in the whole district, so that twenty-five 

 years afterward the Swabian Alp cattle had very nearly disappeared. 

 The variety obtained by this interbreeding is distinguished by its great 

 fleshiness, abundance in milk on the one hand, and strength and en- 

 durance for labor on the other. The importation of cows from Swit- 

 zerland did not have good results ; they did not become used to the 

 climate. The number of cows in the Messkirch district was 5.000 in 

 1880, and 76 bulls. These bulls are the property of the community, 

 which pays for feeding and attendance. Even the stables where these 

 animals are kept belong to the community. The Government prescribes 

 that one bull must be kept for every eighty cows. The inspection of 

 the bulls in 1882 in the Messkirch district gave the following result : 

 Among seventy -six bulls there were 



First-class (very good) 35 



Second-class (good) 30 



Third-class (proper for breeding, but of ugly shape) 10 



Fourth-class (unfit for breeding, with defective constitution) 1 



As a rule cows are covered for the first time at the age of one and a 

 half years, and calve generally at two and a quarter years. Cows which 

 calve before they have reached their full growth never become very 

 strong nor productive in milk. The inclosed photographs, for which I 

 am indebted to the courtesy of his excellency the state minister of the 

 Grand Duchy of Baden, are all of the Messkirch breed and show to 

 good advantage their build &c. ; they were purposely obtained for this 

 report, and are good average specimens of these cattle. 



PECULIARITIES OF THE MESSKIRCH CATTLE. 



The Messkirch cattle are nearly all checkered ; the different kinds 

 are: 



(1) Yellow checkered, light yellow or dark yellow on the back with 

 irregular, clearly defined white spots. 



(2) Ked checkered, hair on the back red, mostly red or yellowish, 

 sometimes dark red with dim white spots. 



(3) White checkered, white back, flanks red hair, head and feet white. 

 Besides these there are animals which are either all red or all yellow, 



the head is white, some have little yellow or red spots around the eyes. 

 Statistical comparisons made in 1873 show that the yellow and red 

 checkered color is most prevalent in the Messkirch district. 



The nostrils, the same as the membranes of the mouth -cavity, arc 

 without color ; the horns and hoofs are yellow, resembling wax. The 

 tuft of hair over the ears is of the same color as the hair on the back. 

 The end of the tail is mostly white. Black or brown spots on the nos- 

 trils are marks of the descent from the original Swabian Alp cattle. 



Red or yellow checkered animals with white head, yellow horns and 

 hoofs, colorless nostrils, and white end of tail are most frequent in the 

 Messkirch district. 



H. Ex. 51 30 



