THE OX AND THE DA [BY. 43 



The oxen are slow and heavy, but at the same time powerful, 

 and work well; they also fatten readily; but in Switzerland, 

 as throughout the continent generally, the stall-fed fatted 

 steer is in far less estimation than in the British islands. It 

 is of little consequence whether the meat be lean or fat, coarse 

 or fine grained, when the mode of cookery is such as to break 

 down the texture of the flesh, or to disguise it in such a 

 manner that it would be difficult to say of what animal it is a 

 part. In the Jura mountains, a breed of cattle similar to the 

 Swiss, but of small stature, greatly prevails. The cattle are 

 hardy and active, and clamber about the mountains, or among 

 the rocks and woods, with the activity of goats ; the cows are 

 good milkers, and are of great importance to the mountain 

 peasants ; the oxen are very strong for their size, and are used 

 for labour : they invariably draw by the horns. The cattle of 

 this breed are mostly red ; they thrive on scanty fare, and are 

 well fitted for the locality they occupy. 



In Switzerland, Savoy, and the adjacent mountain-districts, 

 considerable attention is paid to the cows, which have gener- 

 ally bells round their necks, and are attended by cowherds, 

 who use the Alp-horn to collect them at stated times. These 

 bells are not intended merely as ornaments, or to give 

 pleasure to the ear, they are of great utility ; for when a cow 

 happens to stray on the mountains, the vacher or his dog has 

 always a guide in the bell, the slightest tinkle of which is 

 heard at a great distance in those lofty and still regions. 



With respect to the pastoral economy of these mountain 

 districts, it is in keeping with the character of the country. 

 The richer proprietors or breeders in the Alps, possess tracts 

 of pasturage, and sometimes houses at different heights. 

 During the winter they live at the foot of the mountains in 

 some sheltered valley, and house their cattle; but on the 

 return of spring they quit their winter abode, and ascend 

 gradually as the heat brings out vegetation on the higher 

 lands, on which, during the summer, the cattle feed at large. 

 In autumn, they descend by the same gradations to the valley. 



The farmers, or proprietors, who are less wealthy, have a 

 resource in certain common pastures, to which they send 

 their cows, the number possessed by each person being deter- 

 mined by his means of keeping them during the winter. Eight 

 days after the cows have been driven up to these common 

 pastures, all their owners assemble, and the quantity of milk 

 each cow produces is accurately weighed. This operation 



