-526 Dairy-Farming in the Netherlands. 
for breeding, when the price may reach as high as 30s. to 35s, 
The Americans buy a large number of cows from jNIr. Kuperus, 
and he gets as much as 25/., even now, for a good one. In 
winter the cows are fed on hay and linseed-cake ; and in the year 
1880, although more than half of the land had been mown, the 
crop was so short that about 20 acres had to be mown a second 
time to enable the cattle to be kept through the winter. Labourers 
get in money 12s. 6d. per week from jNIay 1st to November 1st, 
and 10s. per week for the rest of the year ; they also receive 
some bread and tea morning and evening at the farmer's 
expense, and during haytime are entirely fed by him. Cottages 
cost about Is. 8c?. per week, with a small patch of garden. 
The farms in the immediate neighbourhood of Leeuwarden 
and some other parts of the clay-land district are entirely in 
grass ; but not far off, the prevailing system is about half grass 
and half arable. Thus, near Dronrijp, jNIr. C. Sijtsma farms 
50 acres of arable land and 62 acres of pasture, pays 333Z. per 
annum rent, and half as much for labour, although three of his 
sons work on the farm. He keeps 20 milch-cows, 10 heifers, 
and 12 calves. The price of labour is the same as already 
stated by Mr. Kuperus. 
In the south-western district of Friesland is the chief seat of 
the butter industry of the province, the head-quarters being the 
market-town of Sneek. Some changes in dairy-practices have 
recently taken place, in consequence chiefly of American compe- 
tition. Thus the manufacture of skim-cheese has been reduced to 
very small proportions. ^Nlr. Harmens, of Harlingen, a member of 
one of the largest firms of butter and cheese merchants in the 
province, told me, in October 1879, that he then had in his 
warehouse only between 400 and 500 cheeses, whereas a few 
years ago, at the same time of year, he would have had in store 
between 30,000 and 40,000. Butter-making, on the other hand, 
is increasing, and farmers manure their grass with the " terpen," 
to enable them to keep more cows. These " terpen " are pecu- 
liar to the provinces of Friesland and Groningen, and consist of 
hills where, it is said, the inhabitants took refuge in times of 
flood. Here also they lived in the winter, together with their 
cattle, before the sea-dykes were made. They are thus impreg- 
nated with the accumulated excreta of the old inhabitants, and 
are therefore very valuable as manure. I was told of one hill, 
20 acres in area, and about 10 feet high, which had been sold for 
4300/., the soil at the natural level, after the removal of the hill, 
to become again the property of the vendor. 
Butter Markets. — In Holland these are on a large scale during 
the season, and they are conducted on the same system in all 
the true butter-making districts. Thus at Sneek, in Friesland, 
