HOLLAND. 515 



THE CATTLE OF HOLLAND. 



REPORT BY CONSUL WINTER, OF ROTTERDAM. 



lu compliance with circular of July 18, 1883, and its memoranda of 

 August 25, 1883, I Lave prepared the following report upon the cattle 

 of Holland. 



To obtain the necessary information I addressed Mr. C. J. M. Jbng- 

 kindt Coning, director of the Government agricultural school at Wag- 

 eningen, and I transmitted to him a copy of the forms annexed to the 

 cattle circular. In his reply he intimated, however, that the filling out 

 of those forms was impossible to him, as such would require a special 

 study. 



I have, however, succeeded in obtaining the following information, 

 for the greater part of which I am indebted to the above-named gen- 

 tleman, and the balance was obtained from official and reliable sources. 



THE DIPFEEENT BREEDS IN HOLLAND. 



The different breeds and thejr percentage in the Dutch stock are as 

 follows: 



Per ceDt. 



Groningen breed v 7.02 



Frisian breed* : 18. 15 



Holland breed ■ : '. 7.08 



riemish or Zealand breed 3. 8;J 



Golderland breed ...'. 7.08 



Drentbo breed 1.42 



Ifrisian-Drentho-Gelderland breed 13. 61 



Groniogen-Frisian-Gelderland breed 23.81 



Flemisb-Geldcrland-Holland breed 15. 02 



Miscellaneous breeds 2.48 



The Frisian breed is considered as very good breeding cattle, and is 

 principally found in the provinces of Friesland and Drenthe. 



The Holland breed is principally found in the Purmer and the Beem- 

 ster, in the province of North Holland. This is probably the breed 

 from which the Shorthorns have been raised in England, although it 

 is still doubtful whether the Flemish cattle mustnot be considered as 

 the primitive breed of the Shorthorns. 



The Drenthe breed is so much like the Ayrshire breed of Scotland 

 that it is nearly impossible to distinguish a thoroughbred Drenthe cow 

 from an Ayrshire cow. The best animals of this breed are found in 

 Sallaud, province of Overyssel. 



The Flemish or Zeeland breed was found all over the Netherlands 

 about two centuries ago, and the type of it has been preserved in the 

 celebrated painting of " Potter's bull." In present times it is only found 

 in the province of Zeeland and the southern parts of South Holland. 



The following statements are herewith transmitted : 



A, — Number of bulls, milch cows, calves, and heifers, fat cattle and 

 oxen in each province and in the whole country of the Netherlands 

 during 1881, and the average number of the last ten years. 



B. — Increase or decrease of cattle in 1881, as compared with 1880. 



The decrease of about 35,300 head of cattle in 1881 was principally 

 caused by the bad harvest of grass and hay in 1881. 



C. — Total numbers of cattle during the last twenty years. 



* So-called Holstcin cattle. 



