■524 Dairy-Farming in the Netherlands. 
probably buttermilk. Each person, without distinction, spitted 
a potato with his or her fork at will, then dipped the potato 
into the sauce, and conveyed it into the mouth open to receive 
it. The plates had performed their function and were disre- 
garded for the remainder of the meal. The dish of potatoes, 
however, had to be replenished before the diners were satisfied. 
A third course consisted of milk-porridge, made, as I was after- 
wards informed, with buckwheat meal. In this case the whole 
company ate in common out of the same large basin or bowl, 
•using their spoons or ladles when and as often as they thought fit. 
I was afterwards informed in several districts that this is the 
general mode of feeding in small farmhouses. This farmer owns 
his farm, which consists of 60 imperial acres of some of the 
best land in the district, and worth at least 4/. per acre to rent, 
according to the prevailing standard. He keeps 40 milch-cows, 
sells the calves very young, makes Delft butter, and sells the 
skim-milk. His wife is the dairy-woman ; he and his sons do 
most of the work of the farm, and although they live as I have 
indicated, and their house was not particularly neat, yet every- 
thing connected with the cowhouse and the dairy was as bright 
and as clean as possible. In his coachhouse were a " tilbury " 
and a " tentwagen," both looking like new ; and no doubt on 
Sundays and fete-days he and his family come out in fine attire. 
Kampen Butter. — South-west of the extensive and dreary tract 
of heath and forest land which occupies nearly the whole of the 
province of Drenthe and the greater portion of the neighbouring 
provinces, except where the peat has been excavated and the land 
brought into cultivation, lies the celebrated butter district of 
Kampen. From Zwolle to Kampen and on to the sea-coast is a 
real oasis in a desert. Here one sees farms of from 50 to 100 acres 
in extent, on which, as a rule, from 20 to 30 milch-cows are 
kept, and the milk is almost without exception used for the 
purpose of making strong-tasting butter, for the manufacturers of 
butterine, or artificial butter. The rent-value of the land varies 
from G6s. to 8O5. or more per acre, and of course nearly the whole 
of it is in grass. In winter the cows get hay and between 6 lbs. 
and 7 lbs. of linseed-cake per day. In summer they are turned 
out on the pastures and receive no artificial food. About half 
the land is manured in spring every year, and mown for hay 
in due season. Straw is very scarce, therefore the horse-litter is 
forked over and the best of it is used a second time for the cows. 
In the year 1880 there were a smaller number of cows on the 
farms than is generally the case, although most of the farmers 
are proprietors, except in Kampereiland, which is the property 
of the town of Kampen, and is let to tenants under somewhat 
curious conditions. 
