452 CATTLE AND DAIRY FARMING. 



however, no malignant symptoms-prevails quite generally, the present moment would 



"^iZ'rhlttleWrtrt'at W^ that which is in general -ost essential con- 

 cerning cattle-breeding in our district, and I leave it to the consideration of your 

 -honor to favor us perhaps at some other time with a visit. 



With highest regards, Oeconomierath BURKARDT, ^ . 



President of the Agricultural Umon. 



OATTLB-BEBBDINa AT KIE<?HBBEG. 



At Kirchberg, in the Black Forest section, great attention is paid to 

 cattle-breeding, and several distinctive points of interest in connection 

 with the subject will be found in the sul)joined letter from Oecono- 

 mierath Schof er, the president of the Eoyal Farming School at that 

 point, who writes me, under date of October 22, as follows : 



KiKCHBBRG, NEAR SuLZ, October 22, 1883. 



In answer to your favor of the 19th of October I have to say that the breed of cattle 

 stalled here is identical with that kept at the Royal Academy at Hohenheim, and 

 that in regard to the rearing of young cattle only this difference exists, viz, that in 

 Kirchberg a thorough system of grazing is carried out. Near the farm buildings 

 there are two inclosures of about 3 hectares each, provided with facilities for water- 

 ins the animals, where the young cattle, from spring (about May 10) until the end 

 of October, graze without the supervision of herdsmen. So long, during spring and 

 autumn, as the nights are cool and flies not troublesome the animals go out at da:wn 

 to sraze, returning in the evening to their stalls, where they are daily washed. As 

 soon, however, as the summer days grow warm and flies begin to be annoying, the 

 animals are allowed to graze from 4 o'clock in the afternoon on through the whole 

 night up to 8 o'clock in the morning, remaining during the daytime in the cool stalls. 

 While there they are provided with asmnoh corn-straw as they like— and this, duMg 

 wet weather, they seem to prefer ; no other fodder is given them in the stalls. The 

 two grazing-grouuds are ordinarily used alternately for four weeks at a time, so that 

 the herbage gains strength before the cattle graze upon it. As soon as one iuclosure 

 has remained for some time idle the dung is carefully broken up and the weeds are 

 mown off. Besides the dung of the grazing animals the grounds are only manured 

 every few years with wood ashes. From the age of about six months up to the age of 

 pregnancy, which is here about two and a half years, only the female cattle graze 

 during summer, whilst the young males are cared for the same as at Hohenheim. A 

 very strong bodily development and excellent health are found by an experience of 

 thirty years to be the results of the above-described system of rearing by grazing. 



This is the only feature distinguishing cattle-breeding here from that at Hohen- 

 heim, and 1 think that it would scarcely be worth while to come here personally, es- 

 pecially as at present the grazing is over with for this year. 

 With highest regards, 



Oeconomierath SCHOFFER, 



President of the E. Ackerhauschule. 



OATTLB-BBEBDING AT RAVBNSBUBG. 



From Eavensburg, situated in the Swabian uplands near Lake Con- 

 stance, in the southeasterly part of the Kingdom, it is reported in the 

 last chamber of commerce report, as follows : 



The new law about bulls will, without doubt, contribute very much to the improve- 

 ment of cattle-breeding, although the poorness of the soil in Obersohwaben causes 

 some difficulty and renders the keeping of township bulls almost impossible. It is 

 to be hoped that through a better choice of bulls the brown cattle will be reserved to 

 the Oberland, and will be able to resist successfully the encroachments of the parti- 

 colored race as far as dairy uses are concerned. Where breeding prevails, the quicker 

 growing parti-colored cattle are in their right place, and should be bred pure, 

 whilst the aimless system of crossings between brown and red cattle, now prevailing 

 in many places, should be opposed by every possible means. A further incentive to 

 a better breeding and rearing of cows will be the higher price for the milk, obtained 

 in many households and dairies in Oberschwabeu through the introduction of the 

 cold-water method, which we are glad to state is coming more and more into vogue. 

 Only lately the dairy at Sigmarshofen was remodeled according to this system. The 

 "Molkerei Genossenschaft" (dairy association) at Aichstetten also makes a very good 

 showing in its last year's busineas. 



