1922.] 



The British Friesian. 



423 



THE BRITISH FRIESIAN. 



George Hobson. 



Many of our native breeds of cattle were influenced by importa- 

 tions of Dutch stock, particularly during the 17th and 18th 

 centuries, and large numbers of black-and-white Dutch cows 

 were imported in the 19th century, especially in the 'seventies 

 and the 'eighties. They were distributed chiefly over the counties 

 on the east coasts of England and Scotland, although the best 

 herds were probably preserved in other districts. With the 

 passing of the Act prohibiting the importation of live cattle except 

 for purposes of immediate slaughter, further landing was stopped. 

 The breed, however, was not allowed to become extinct, and in 

 1909 a society was formed with the object of developing it and. 

 fostering its interests. The society was permitted in 1914 to 

 obtain an infusion from Holland of much needed new blood ; and 

 the subsequent rapid progress of the breed is remarkable in the 

 history of pedigree live stock. In 1911 the membership of the 

 society was not more than 50. In 1922 the membership of the 

 British Friesian Cattle Society is 1,950 or nearly forty times 

 greater than ten years previously. 



British Friesian cattle are similar to, if not so wonderfully 

 uniform in breed character as, the world-famed Friesians of the 

 Netherlands, and to the equally noted Holstein -Friesians of 

 America, where this race holds all world's records for milk and 

 butter production. 



Improvers of the Breed. — Although much of the wonderful 

 improvement in the conformation, symmetry and breed character 

 of British Friesians is directly due to the influence of the 

 animals imported from Holland in 1914, the work of the few 

 breeders who practically prevented the extinction of this valuable 

 variety of stock was of incalculable benefit, and the animals bred 

 by. and descended from the strains owned by. these early pioneers 

 have supplied the large majority of the numerous 2.000 gallon 

 cows of the breed. Mr. John Twentyman. of Hawkrigg in 

 Cumberland, developed a good herd in the latter years of Last 

 century, and from Hawkrigg went the cows that founded the 

 well-known Colton herd of Mr. Hugh Brown. Two of the 

 Hawkrigg bulls, Boyal Duke and his son Hedges Hawkrigg Puke, 

 proved two of the strongest pillars of the first TTerd Books and 

 two of the best and most impressive bulls in the breed. Alter 

 twenty years the influence of Boyal Duke in leaving big animals 



