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live-stock.
83
resorted to at present to improve the breeds of horses, horned cattle, sheep,
and pigs. An account of the monetary awards given for horse-breeding
is given on p. 94. As the giving af prizes for the breeding of horned
cattle has attracted much and well-deserved attention, it may not be out
of place to give here a somewhat detailed account of the manner in which
it is carried out.
In 1882, the Skaraborg Agricultural Society adopted a system elaborated
by Captain Sigge Flach for prize-competitions for cattle, which proved itself
superior to all others by the way in which it attracted the generality of the
small farmers to take part in the work of improving the breeds. Exceedingly
simple in its plan, it is based on practical, well-considered principles, which
is best shown by the fact that, even before the State had voted the slightest
sum towards covering the expenses, Flach’s system had been adopted with
success by the districts of 17 different Agricultural Societies. In 1892,
when the State for the first time made a grant, this figure at once rose to
25, and shortly afterwards, to 26, i. e., prize-competitions for cattle,
according to the Skaraborg System (as it is now generally called), have been held
annually in all the districts of the Agricultural Societies. In 1907, the number
fell to 25, the Gävleborg Län Agricultural Society then determining to cease
awarding prizes for cattle according to the system in question. Since the
beginning of the year 1910, the amount of the State grant for the support
of the prize-competitions for cattle has amounted to 120 000 kronor, 30 000 kronor
of which was to be devoted to providing extra prizes for bulls belonging to
the Bull Society. The sums mentioned amounted, however, to but a relatively
small proportion of the entire expenses, which, in 1912, reached 362 309 kronor.
The aim of these prize-competitions for cattle is the creation of good
breeds which are suited to the various parts of Sweden.
At present the system is employed for only five breeds of cattle, viz.:
1. The Alpine race (or North Swedish cattle) in Norrland and
Dalarne, which is estimated to yield about 2 500 kilograms of milk, with
a 3-80 % of fat. Live weight, about 350 kilograms.
2. The Bed Polled cattle (Sw. Rödkullor), in Dalarne, Bohuslän, etc.
The milk-production and live weight about the same as those of the
first-named breed.
3. The Ayrshire race, in the south and middle of Sweden.
Milk-production about 3 500 kilograms, with a 3-60 % of fat. Live weight abcxut
450 kilograms.
4. The Bed-and-White Swedish cattle of Central Sweden. Milk
production (at Stjärnsund) about 4 000 kilograms, with about 3-80 % of
fat. Live weight, about 500 kilograms.
5. The Black-and-White Swedish Lowland cattle of Southern
Sweden. Yearly production of milk about 4 500 kilograms, with about 3-30 %
of fat. Live weight, about 575 kilograms.
Hitherto, all these races have been bred principally for milk-production, but
the milk-type is not so strongly marked but that the animals, in a greater
or lesser degree, can be transformed into a meat-type, or a combined
milk- and meat-type. The breeds that give quickest growth and which are
easiest to fatten are the red-and-white Swedish, and the black-and-white Swedish
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