DOMINION OF "CANADA. 



567 



The cattle are mostly Shorthorn grades and common Canadian, the 

 "grade" and Canadian, so called, being the greater proportion, proba- 

 bly nineteen-twentieths. None are raised or bred here for export. The 

 most of them are of a small size, some, when crossed with the Ayrshires, 

 weighing less than 1,300 pounds. The purer the breed the heavier the 

 stock. Few are slaughtered for market merely sufficient for the ordi- 

 nary home demand the cattle being of light weight. The heavier meats 

 come from districts west. None are drawn from the United States, nor 

 are any exported thither of any importance. Such as are exported go 

 to England. I find that in the last five years not over $20,000 worth 

 of cattle have been sent to the United States from this district, and these 

 at long intervals and of ordinary grades. 



CHEESE MAKING-. 



The main interest here in this connection is the dairy the entire prod- 

 uct in fact going to the cheese factories. The yield is about $28 per 

 animal, on the average, over and above what is used in the family, 

 though in one instance a party who has a fair herd of Durhams and Ayr- 

 shires says his yielded him $40 per season for each cow over and above 

 such as lie used for his own family. 



I have analyzed the returns of three of the principal cheese factories, 

 and I find as follows : Milk to each pound of cheese, No. 1, 9.602 pounds; 

 No. 2, 9.870 pounds; No. 3, 9.510 pounds. 



Paid each patron or stockholder, per standard (of 3,000 pounds) of 

 milk, which is supposed to represent the average season's milking: No. 

 1, $28.37 ; No. 2, $26.49 ; No 3, $30. The average price for cheese was 

 about 9.90 cents. 



I was unable to find any one who kept such accounts as would enable 

 him to get at the product of his cattle in other directions, labor, meat, 

 &c., or for the balance of the year. As stated, the main volume of the 

 product goes to cheese. 



The northern portion of this county (Hastings) is admirably adapted 

 for grazing, and the beef and mutton and butter and cheese are of a 

 better quality than the southern. The water in the northern (Law- 

 rentian) portion is pure, while that of the southern (Silurian) district is 

 very hard. 



FBED'K W. PEINCE, 



Consul. 



UNITED STATES CONSULATE, 



Belleville, December 15, 1883. 



Special statistics of cattle in the Belleville district. 



Remarks. The yield of milk during the " season," as called, at the cheese manu- 

 facturers, averages 3,000 pounds ; for exceptional cases in pure breeds (see report here- 

 with), 4,000 pounds. Until quite recently, say two years, very few absolutely pure 



