MILKING SHORTHORNS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 103, 5 May 1926, Page 19

MILKING SHORTHORNS.

THE BREED IN THE WAIKATO. Waikato is undoubtedly the Dominion's chief centre for activities in connection with Milking Shorthorns, and the decision of the New Zealand -Milking Shorthorn Association to transfer . its headquarters from Palmerston North Ito Hamilton must" be generally con- ' ceded to be in the best interests of the breed. Outside of the Auckland province, very little semi-official testing has: been- done by Milking Shorthorn breeders, and, but for the part played by its Waikato stalwarts, the breed would have ere now become virtually a lost tribe. S In this; connection every credit is ; due to , Messrs. Ranstead Bros., of Waitangi, whose herd has a very impressive array of butterfat records to its credit. At present Ranstead Bros, have under test two heifer's, which it would appear are destined •to make history. One of them in Matangi Quality sth— under test as a senior two-year-old—is a daughter of the famous cow, Matangi Quality 4th, who provided the sensation of the year in 1925, when she broke all production records for the breed by putting up 9781b butterfat as a senior four-year-old, only to calve too late to qualify for a first-class certificate. ■ Matangi Quality 4th was herself tested as a senior two-year-old, her completed record being 591.891b butterfat from I 14,572.81b milk. More than passing interest, therefore, attaches to a comparison of her figures ■ "with those of her daughter of the same age. This shows-that the daughter—for the time she has been under test —has equalled her dam's record for ' -'tterfat, though her yield of milk r> been Tather smaller.- Whether she w:ll retain her yield as well as her dam did remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that - she will exceed the 5001b standard which the New Zealand Milking Shorthorn Association has set for its £50 prize.' To date, Matangi Quality sth has produced just under 4001b butterfat in exactly a -week short of eight months. Her test has never been below 4 per cent, and for the last four months it was as follows: 4.46 in December, 4.47 in January. 4.46 in February, and 5.15 in March. v Matangi "Ruth 3rd, now under test as a' senior fhree-year-old, also comes of great butterfat lineage. She is the first daughter of the senior three-year-oH eTas's leader, Matangj Rnth 2nd, .to be tried out under semi-official test. Matangi Buth 2nd holds a C.O.R. of 7471b butterfat, and it is pleasing to note that her daughter is also shaping well. Indeed, so far, Matangi Rath 3rd has exceeded her dam's record for milk at i the same age, bat &slier test is slightly {lower, her butterfat yield -eriU be approximately the same ac Matangi Roth I2nd's. *