> However cattle loans will be much
> more to do with allocation of labour between bloodlines. If a
> bloodline has more cattle than they can manage they will lend
> some to another. This is probably most common with the chief's
> herd. In this way poorer cottars get the products of a milk cow
> or two for the labour of looking after them and the value of
> the cow doesn't go to waste.
This reminds me. Until very recently, historically that is, here in Finland people kept cows primarily for the dung, and not for the milk. A cow eats hay, and produces quality fertilizer. At leats here up north the fertilization was an important part of surviving as a farmer.
-Adept
Powered by hypermail