EussiA. 525 



CATTLE IN FINLAND. 



In compliance with circular of the IStii July, 18S3, 1 have herewith 

 the honor to forward answers to the several questions referred to therein. 

 There is an export of cattle from Finland to Sweden, but there is no 

 import except a few now and then from Ayrshire, for breeding pur- 

 poses. 



HERMAN DONNER, 

 Vice and Acting Consul. 

 United States Consulate, 



Helsingfors, June 26, 1884. 



SPBCIAI, STATISTICS CONCERNING CATTLE IN FINLAND. 



Name of breed, ^c. : Ayrshire, pure aud half blood, crossed ■with original Finnish 

 breed. Color, red and white, spotted, sometimes roan. They are the well-known 

 Ayrshire type ; have been bred pure for thirty years; originally from Scotland. Age 

 at maturity four years, when the weight of meat is from 400 to 700 pounds. Size at 

 maturity : Cow from 50" to 80" ; ox, from 56" to 86" ; while the bull at two and one- 

 half years is from 54" to 80". Live weight : Cow,' 800 to 1,000 pounds; bull, 1,200 to 

 1,300 pounds; ox, 1,000 to 1,100 pounds. Annual average production of milli from 

 3,200 to 6,000 pounds; from 23.3 to 26 pounds of milk produce 1 pound of butter; ithe 

 average product being 180 pounds. No cheese is made in the neighborhood. 



Topography of Finland : Altitude, 300 feet. Mean temperature, -|-3.7'^ C. ; summer, 4- 

 11.7°, July being the warmest (mean temperature, -1-17°) ; winter, — 4.3° centigrade 

 from November including April (January mean temperature, — 7.8°). Soil, alluvial 

 unsatisfactorily spread ; loam mergel very scarce but plenty of vegetable moor soil ; 

 clay glacial and field clay; sandy, &c., rollstone gravel, down sand, and glacial sand. 



Suistratam : Granite, clay, gravel, &c. 



Cultivated grasses : Timothy most cultivated and is gaining ground every year ; red 

 clover is cultivated, but more of Swedish "alsike" (Arifalim hybridum) ; for pasture 

 while clover is mixed; rye-grass does not stand the Finnish winter; Holeus lanatus 

 and Alopecarus pratensis are much used. 



The cattle are housed for nine months and are at pasture only for three months ; hay, 

 oats (crushed), linseed cakes, wheat bran, oat, acorns, and straw are used for feed ; 

 on large farms the herds are usually kept pure and bulls imported from time to time • 

 from Ayrshire ; on small farms crossed breeds are prominent. The butter is all ex- 

 ported to St. Petersburg and London. 



POLISH CATTLE, 



BEPOBT BT CONSUL BAWIOZ, OF WARSAW. 



I beg to acknowledge the receipt of the cattle circular of July 18 

 last, and in reply to transmit the following report on the condition of 

 the cattle-raising industry in Poland. 



The number of the Polish and foreign breeds is exceedingly limited, 

 and in no proportion whatever to the demands of the local stOck- 

 tyeeders. Owing to the cheapness of the loca| milk and meat products 

 and the competition with the "Steppe" and peasant cattle, the raising 

 of the foreign breeds is entirely neglected. 



The purchasing prices of the animals produced by this country are 

 exceedingly variable, in consequence of the striking differences in their 

 sizes and qualities. • 



