HOLLAND CATTLE. 



According to the " Dutch Freisian Herd Book," the Friesian has 

 been stock, sending out branches all over the Lowlands of Northern 

 Europe. The Oldenburg breed, the Breitenburg breed, the black and 

 white cattle of Flanders, have all sprung from it. As a central stock> 

 mainly bred in Friesland and North Holland, it has always main- 

 tained its pre-eminence, and from it is continually drawn the elements 

 for the improvement of other breeds. Probably there is no other 

 treed or race of cattle that has received less admixture of other blood 

 during the long period which it has been under review. Yet it cannot 

 be denied that admixture from other races has taken place. The 

 ravages of war and disease have sometimes compelled importations 

 to replenish the depleted herds. At such times resort has been made 

 to French and German breeds. English breeds have also been intro- 

 duced to a limited extent. About 1875 there were two associations of 

 breeders established in Holland, and a class of superior cattle selected 

 and registered as foundation stock. In the beginning neither associa- 

 tion made any distinction in colors, regarding all as equally pure. 

 The Friesian Association advanced the classification of colors, adopt- 

 ing variegated black and white as a distinct and separate class. In- 

 deed, it is only within a very recent period that the Dutch breeders 

 appear to have given any special attention to the matter ot color, 

 selections having been made regardless of the color ot the hair. 



The Friesian breed of cattle have been imported from time to time 

 into New South Wales from the tirst commencement of the settlement. 

 But, strange as it may seem, our history writers have almost without 

 exception confined themselves to describing their colors only. For 

 example, the Messrs, bhipley, of Bong Bong, possessed some of them, 

 and were described as Shipley's blue-roans. The Messrs. Berry had 

 a herd of the breed at Coolangatta, Shoalhaven, and they were de- 

 scribed as Berry's magpie cattle. It was not till the late T. S. Mort 

 introduced them to Bodalla, Moruya, that they became recognised as. 

 the Holland or Friesian breed of cattle. 



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