ON THE LAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 155, 30 June 1916, Page 9

ON THE LAND.

Agricultural, Pastoral and Dairy Interests.

SWITZERLAND.

I CO-OPERATIVE CATTLE-REARING SOCIETIES. , Cattle-rearing is the chief source ot profit of Swiss agriculture. It has been also at all times the subject of the greatest attention, not only on the part of stock breeders, but also on that of the State, and numerous measures have been taken by both in order to promote this industry which is as important to agriculture as to social economy. As the small holding is the most usual type of land tenure in Switzerland, it wa« soon found necessary to form breeders' associations whose principal object was the improvement of rattle. These associations have just been the subject of a detailed article, written by M. Joseph Frey, Director of the Swiss Federation for the Rearing of Cattle of the Brown Swiss Breed, Lucerne. The paper is published in the number for January, 1916, of the ''International Review of Agricultural Economics" (formerly tlie "Monthly Bulletin of Economic and Social. Intelligence") published by the International Institute of Agriculture.

According to M. Frcy the Swiss Cooperative Cattle-Rearing Societies have now reached the number of 850, not including the societies which limit their i activities to the purchase and maintenance of bulls for breeding purposes. The Swiss cattle-rearing societies have as | their aims, on the other hand, the choice of excellent bulls for breeding and the securing of their proper maintenance; the selection and marking of the best cows for breeding (breeding cows and heifers); the securing of the systematic treatment of animals used ftor breeding and the suitable rearing of their produce; the regular keeping of records, giving reliable data as to the pedigree of the animals; making researches into their capacity of prod'action; arranging for the transport of animals; playing the part of intermediary in the sale of breeding cattle; and protecting generally the interests of this industry, as well as 'instructing the members of the co-operative- society regarding questions dealing with cattle-breeding and rearing. The importance of cattle-rearing societies is very variable; as a rule, the number of members ranges from 10 to 50, but in exceptional cases it may rise to 60 and even 100. The number of animals entered in the Herd-book may vary from 30 to 100, though sometimes it rises to 200 or even more. The sphere of work of a co-operative society may include j one, or more communes, or even extend j to a whole valley. I As soon as a large number of co-1 operative societies were started, the | need of closer collaboration between them soon made itself felt. This led to the formation of federations for the j rtißovjchjef, £attl,e-Tearmg districts. ] federations a Targe number of co-operative societies immediately adfaercd. In 1890, some co-operative 1 societies joined together and formed the Swiss Federation for the Rearing of Sim-1 menthal Cattle (Federation Suisse d'elevage dv betail tachete); the Swiss Federation of Co-operative Societies for the Rearing of Cattle of the Brawn Swiss Breed (Federation Suisse dcs co-opera-tives d'elevage dv betail de race brune) was founded in 1897. These two federations developed very rapidly. At the present time the first includes 340 cooperative societies with 10,371 members and with 26,510 head of cattle entered in the herd books, while the second includes 190 co-operative societies with 6,347 members and with 21,900 head of cattle on the hooks.

The objects of these federations is the better organisation of the co-operative societies and the promotion of cattlerearing in general by facilitating the exchange of bulls, unifying the methods of examining and valuing cattle, organising meetings of the judges entrusted with ar.ardmg the prizes, carrying out researches as to production, taking part in shows, and promoting trade in cattle selected for breeding. They also enforce the adoption of a uniform method of keeping herd books, and, in order to attain this, they have the books examined and give prizes to those cooperative societies whose registers are best kept.

Apart from the above mentioned principal federations, there are also others in Switzerland having the same aims. In 1911. the co-operative societies for the rearing of Brown Swiss cattle of the canton of St. Gall, which had hitherto belonged to the great Swiss Federation of Co-operative Societies for the Rearingl of Cattle of the Brown Swiss Breed I (Federation Suisse dcs co-operative 3 d'elevage dv botail de race brune) | formed a separate cantonal federation which later assumed the title of Federation of Co-operative Societies of East Switzerland for the Rearing of Cattle of the Brown Swiss Breed (Federations dcs co-operatives de la Suisse orientale pour i'elevage dcs bovides de race brune). This federation includes 90 co-operative societies and organises annually a bull fair at Rapperswill. In 1908 waa founded the Federation of the Co-opera-tive Societies of East Switzerland among Breeders of ttie Simmenthal Breed (Federation dcs co-operatives de la Suisse orientale parmi les eleveurs de la race Simmenthal), which now includes 40 co-operative societies and organises a bull fair every year at Wintertlror. In 1897 the breeders of Simmenthal cattle in the Bernese Oberland (northern part, of the canton of Berne) formed a Fede-' ration of Co-operative Societies of Breeders of the Alpine Breed of Simmenthal Gattle (Federation dcs cooperatives d'elevage de la race Alpine tachetee de Simmenthal); finally there exists in the canton of Frrbourg a Federation of Co-operative Societies for the Rearing of Fribourg Cattle (Federation dcs co-operative d'elevage de la race bovine tachetee de noir), which includes 30 co-operative societies and organises a bull fair at 801 lin the autumn from time to time.

Although the Swiss cattle-rearing societies have generally obtained remarkable results, they have, however, experiencd some failures, and have been subjected to disturbances that occasionally resulted in the dissolution of certain of their number. These failures were due to different causes, amongst which may be mentioned mistakes made in the purchase of bulls, cattle disease and epidemics, unfavourable local conditions, errors in the choice of directors, the exaggerated hopes erf various members, and lack of constancy and perseverance. But, whatever the cause, bad or unsatisfactory results are the exception. It is well known that in breeding, results only show themselves very slowry, and

the efforts of breeders do not meet with I an immediate reward; it is only by constancy and perseverance that the goal is; reached. M. Frey therefore does not hesitate to assert that whenever cooperative societies have been started in suitable societies, under the direction of specialists, and with members who understood their work and were ready to collaborate in the common task, these societies 'have entirely fulfilled the hopes founded on them.