Cattle Breeding Societies. 



253 



Cattle Breeding Societies in Europe. 



In a paper read before the recent International Agricultural 

 Congress at Rome, M. Pecile, President of the Agricultural 

 Association of Frioul, in the V enetian Alps, gave a short history 

 of the development of breeding societies in various European 

 countries. Pie placed England at the head of the list as the 

 country which first undertook the systematic improvement of 

 domestic animals. " Always eminently practical, the English 

 breeders have succeeded in an admirable manner in obtaining 

 good zootechnic and commercial results, not indeed with 

 Government aid, but wholly by private enterprise." 



M. Pecile's paper contained considerable information with 

 regard to herd-books. Holland was apparently the first Con- 

 tinental country to adopt them, Germany followed, and the 

 system gradually extended throughout Central Europe. In 

 France the introduction of herd-books is of quite recent 

 date, although as early as 1853 the Government had under- 

 taken to keep a register of shorthorns. It was not, however, 

 until 1883 that herd-books were started for local breeds, e.g. y 

 Norman, Flemish, &c, and since that date local registers have 

 been established throughout the country. 



The improvement of cattle in Denmark was systematically 

 established by the Agricultural Society of Jutland in 1875, and 

 in 1880 the first show of pure bred cattle was held at Viborg. 

 Thirteen new societies were afterwards united into a federa- 

 tion, and the movement extended so rapidly that by the year 

 1900 there were in Denmark 492 breeding societies, comprising 

 12,000 members, with 37, 500 registered cows and 518 bulls. 



Analogous progress has taken place in Belgium, partly owing 

 to the action of the Government, which in 1895 decided to 

 subsidise local " syndicates " and encourage them by various 

 other means. This official assistance is now given primarily 

 through the " National Society for the Improvement of Dairy 

 Cattle." 



Cattle-breeding syndicates were first established in Switzer- 

 land in 1888, and the number had risen to 182 by 1893. l n 

 1894, the Federal Government passed a law appropriating a 

 subsidy of not less than 400,000 francs annually for the 



