506 CATTLE AND DAIRY FARMING. 



generally speaking, a much higher price than in the previous year, the 

 prices realized were about as follows, viz : 



Florins.* 



Calves, lieifers, under one year old 125 to 150 



Yearlings 225 300 



Cows, from two to three years old . 250 450 



Cows, over three years 600 600 



Bull calves, nnder one year old 200 350 



Bulls, at from one to two years old 350 800 



BEST ROUTES OF TRANSPORTATION TO THE UNITED STATES. 



Eegarding " the best routes of export" I have to remark that that has 

 not been recently and is not at present a matter of choice for Americans 

 requiring transportation for cattle from this country to the United 

 States, as for the last few years they have been obliged to ship the 

 stock they purchased here from ports outside of Holland, and where 

 such freight was accepted or where transportation for cattle could be 

 obtained usually at Antwerp and at one or more English ports. 



It is represented to me, and I am more than disposed to believe, that 

 the best routes for shipping cattle from this country to ours are or 

 would be from the ports of Amsterdam and Eotterdam. 



But as the steamers plying between these and American ports are all 

 carrying passengers, and are, therefore, prohibited from taking cattle 

 on board, and as hitherto the cattle exports to the United States have 

 been too unimportant and irregular to induce any steamship company 

 here to make special arrangements for the cattle traffic or carriage, 

 there exists now no opportunity to ship cattle from either of those 

 ports. 



COST OF TRANSPORTATION TO THE UNITED STATES. 



As to "the cost of exportation and the estimated expenses for attend- 

 ance and food en route," I would offer the following observations : 



The cattle of this country found to be best adapted and most desir- 

 able for breeding purposes and the improvement of the stock in the 

 United States should be, and usually are, procured in the provinces of 

 Groningen, Friesland, and North Holland. 



When bought in Friesland and Groningen it should be on condition 

 of being delivered, by the different farmers of whom obtained, at a 

 given time at the nearest railroad station or at the most convenient and 

 nearest point or place for conveyance by water to Amsterdam or Rot- 

 terdam. 



The cost of such transportation naturally differs very much and can- 

 not be exactly stated. It is in accordance with or as the number of 

 cattle at any time to be shipped is large or small, and the distance 

 longer or shorter, but it does not amount to very much at any time per 

 head of cattle in cases of large shipments being made. 



Cattle purchased in North Holland can conveniently be, and gener- 

 ally are, driven from the farms to Amsterdam gr Eotterdam. 



The cost of transportation from this port or from Eotterdam to 

 Gravesend, England, is, as near as I can ascertain, about JE1 per head 

 for steers, cows, and heifers, and Ws per head for calves. 



The present freight rates for shipping cattle in considerable numbers 



* Florins = 40.2 cents. 



