GERMANY. 421 



TSo. 8 is an East Frisian cow, representing one of the finest milk cows 

 of the race. Color black and white, white blase, four white legs, tail 

 half black, half white ; is a flrst-rate milker, easily fed, and very en- 

 during in all climates. 



Ko. 9 is likewise an East Frisian cow, bred in that province, but now 

 in the possession of a Mr. Peters, counselor of the agricultural depart- 

 ment of Pomerania, is a very fine specimen of the red-colored race, said 

 to be descended from the Anglian race. The animal is about seven 

 years old, a very good milker, and very hardy. The best specimens of 

 this race are raised in the district of Fordeu andAurich. 



No. 10 represents an East Frisian bull, now three and one-tialf years 

 old, raised in East Friesland, now the property of the crown prince of 

 the German Empire. The animal is a fair specimen, if not one of the 

 fairest specimens, of his race, but shows rather heavy formation of bones, 

 and is rather long-legged, with a slight downward curving in the back^ 

 bone. The formation of the head is normal, but the root of the tail 

 rather prominent. Color black and white, blase, white legs, and black 

 tail. These cattle are very enduring and will stand a passage across 

 the ocean as well as the Oldenburg or Budjadinger race. 



HOUSING, FEEDING, AND BREEDING. 



Herewith I close the descriptive part of the cattle raised in my dis- 

 trict, to enter more particularly upon the housing, feeding, and breed- 

 ing of the cattle, and the disposition made thereof. 



The cattle in the marshes pass from six to seven months of the year in 

 the open air on meadows, which give plenty of nourishing and whole- 

 some food, by which the more or less spare winter-feeding is fully com- 

 pensated. The i>astures are abundant in grasses, but rather poor of 

 ])lants or herbages. For seventeen milch cows, in general, 10 hectares, 

 or 25 acres, are required of good middling marshlands. To show the in- 

 crease of weight of cattle grazing on good pastures in the marshes the 

 following statement was given me by a well-to-do farmer in this vicinity : 

 From May to October, last year, this gentlemen fed, on meadows meas- 

 uring 20.i993 hectares, or about 40 acres, forty-two oxen, sixteen sheep 

 and calves, and onefilly. For thirteen day^the oxen werefedon meadows 

 of which the grass had been cut before. The result of the feeding dur- 

 ing one hundred and sixty- two days on meadows, for the oxen, was 

 from 517.45 kilograms at the beginning to 731.45 at the end. The 

 highest increase in weight was 303 kilograms, or 6 cwt. ; the lowest 

 amounted to 221 kilograms, or nearly to 4J cwt. The average daily 

 increase amounted to about 3 pounds. Another farmer in the Weser 

 marshes last year fed eight oxen on his best pasture grounds. They 

 had lost during the winter housing and bad feeding about 5 cwt. 



When put on the pastures, on May 4, Nos. 1 to 4 weighed about 30 

 cwt. and Nos. 5 to 8 about 35 cwt. W hen sold, on November 3, Nos. 1 to 

 4 weighed about 56 cwt. and Nos. 5 to 8 about 51 cwt. Average aug- 

 mentation of weight per head, about 4 cwt., or about 43.5 per cent., or 

 per day per head about 2| pounds. The result of this grazing shows 

 the value of the grass in the marshes for fattening cattle. 



In the marshes it is common with the farmers to keep a larger number 

 of cattle than their stables can accommodate during the winter. The 

 overplus, in most every instance consisting of young animals, are 

 usually sent to iarmers in the Geestlands, there to be fed. The price 

 paid for such feeding varies from S7 to $9 per head. This low price of 

 course does not allow a feeding with good, nourishing fodder, the ani- 



