Franco-Swiss Dairy-Farming. 
93 
of his cattle on the pastures. The amodier must hand over to 
him the hide, and some fair arrangement is come to for payment 
on either side as the case may be. Loss by death is, however, 
rare, and other losses are guarded against by the boundary 
Avalker, who drives che cows up to the chalet night and 
morning, and who soon " spots " a stranger or a missing beast. 
Occasionally cattle are killed by lightning, and in such a case 
the blow generally falls on a single farmer. During a thunder- 
storm the cattle take refuge under the pine-trees ; and as the 
cattle of the separate farmers usually herd together, if a tree is 
struck, those below it all succumb together. I heard of one 
case where eight head of cattle had all been thus destroyed. 
Pleuro-pneumonia has at times committed great ravages, and 
on whatever block it makes its appearance the whole of the 
cattle there are immediately slaughtered. About ten years ago 
the disease occasioned great loss ; but the Government in- 
demnified the owners to a certain extent. 
As in the valleys, so in the mountains, the cattle are not by 
any means pure bred. The degenerate Simmenthal, or, as they 
call it, the native race, predominates ; but there is a large ad- 
mixture of Fribourg cattle, and of others which it is impossible 
to describe. Cattle are branded on the horn, not with the 
owner's brand, but with that belonging to the village commu- 
nity ; thus, if on the pastures or elsewhere an animal is found, 
the community, through its mayor or secretary, posts a notice 
to that effect ; there are, however, rare occasions for this action. 
The cows are milked twice a day ; the milkers are supplied 
with a little wallet containing salt, of which they give a handful 
to every cow after milking her ; attached to the wallet is a little 
cup containing a preparation of curd and whey, locally known 
as " cail." 
The number of hands required upon a mountain pasture varies 
with the number of cows. For seventy to eighty cows, together 
with more than an equal number of mixed cattle, five men are 
employed. The chief (or dairyman) receives 300 francs (12Z.) 
for the season, and the four men under him 100 to 120 francs 
(4Z. to 4Z. I65.) a-piece. The wages are higher in a mountain 
than in a village dairy, because there is more to do. The men 
are all fed. Their food consists of the produce of the dairy, 
with vegetable soup, wheaten bread, and occasionally a little 
rice or other extras ; unlike their meals in the village, the men 
seldom get any pork or other meat on the mountains. They 
sleep about the byre or dairy as they can. The chalet and its 
surroundings are exceedingly dirty, although the utensils are 
kept exquisitely clean ; nevertheless, it is a matter for astonish- 
ment that such splendid butter and cheese can be produced 
