Hie Agricultural Features of the Paj-is Exhibition. 
191 
ated, it retains its fundamental characteristic as valuable for 
the production of milk. Dutch bulls have been extensively 
used in France in crossing with other breeds, particularly the 
Flemish race, and the crosses thus bred are not only excellent 
milkers, but also good beef cattle. The breed has long been 
kept tolerably pure in Holland, and in 1875 a Dutch ' Herd- 
Book ' was started by " The Herd-Book Society of the Nether- 
lands." The entries already number over 300, and there can 
be no doubt that the movement will result in the further im- 
provement of the race. One rule attached to entry in the ' Herd- 
Book ' deserves notice. It is novel, but not without recom- 
mendations. When registered, the animal is branded on the 
side and on the horn with its number in the ' Herd-Book.' 
Most of the young bulls exhibited were shapely, and of good 
quality, the old bulls as a rule being heavy, but rather plain. 
The cows formed the charm of the lot. A few were indeed 
very handsome animals, large and massive, with fine, soft, 
mellow skin and kindly touch. A slight coarseness of bone 
was observable in some, while a good many were a trifle narrow 
in front. It was evident that, in awarding the prizes in the 
cow class, the Jurors had given most weight to the " appear- 
ance of milk " presented by the animals. The first-prize cow 
was far from being the most handsome in form, but she had 
calved very recently, and showed wonderful development of the 
milk-vessels. A four-year-old cow, fully an average in size, 
girthed 6 feet 9^ inches, measured 5 feet 5 inches in length 
from the shoulder-top backwards, and 4 feet 4 inches in height 
at the shoulder. We asked the price of this cow on behalf of 
a Scotch farmer, and found that she could not be bought under 
80Z. Others were offered at from 50/. to 100/., the cow offered 
at 50/. being a " pepper "-coloured one of good build, but rather 
under-sized. In the bull class the first, second, and fourth 
prizes, and an honourable mention, went to Holland ; the third 
prize to France ; and the fifth and a supplementary prize to 
Belgium. In the cow class the first and a supplementary prize 
went to Belgium ; and the second, third, fourth, fifth, and six 
tickets of honourable mention, to Holland. The largest lot 
from Holland were exhibited by the Herd-Book Society ; the 
French winner was M. Roberti, Paris ; and the most successful 
Belgian exhibitor, M. Derboven, Malines. 
Belgian Cattle. 
Though not figuring conspicuously with any breed which 
could be called peculiarly its own, Belgium had nevertheless 
no fewer than 108 entries of cattle in the Catalogue. Nearly one- 
haU were Shorthorns ; but a few of those entered did not appear. 
