EDITORIAL FARM NOTES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9886, 17 November 1897, Page 2

EDITORIAL FARM NOTES.

•• Weekly Press and Referee." THK ASHBURTON* SHOW. (Thero was a pretty considerable falling off in tho total entries for the twentieth annual show held at Ashburton, but takon all round it cannot be said that tbe general merit of tho show exhibited a downward tendency. There were far more empty sheep pens than one likes to see at so important a gathering, and the quality in some of tho classes could be considerably improved upon, but a few of tho Shropshire Downs and English Leicestors were cf a particularly high order of merit. The show of draught horses was equal, if not a bit above, anything previously seen on the ground, evory class being well filled, and the stamp of horses a credit to any breeder or to any show ring. The light horses, especially, the entires, were also wonderfully good. The show of pigs was another feature worthy of special mention. Some noticeable improvements were mado in the general arrangements this year, one of which was that good clean pens were provided for the sheep. A further source of satisfaction in connection with the show was a record attendance, so that the Association will come out with a handsome profit. WHOLKSALE DKSTRUCnO** OF CALVES. There must be something radically wrong with our system of dairying when it permits of such a wholesale destruction of calves as bow appears to be going on. At tbe Addington saleyards on Wednesday lost there were no less than ninety calves offered for sale as vealers, only a very small proportion of which were really fit for the knife. There were a few well-grown and well-fed animals, bat tliero were on the other hand a lot that were only a few days old—we were almost going to say a few hours old, and eveu then it would not have been very wide of the mark. Then look at tbe prices that were obtained. A few went at 103 to 20s per head and the pick up to as high as 34s and 35s each, but the bulk were disposed of at under half-a-sovcreign, suoh prices as 9_d, Is, 2s 6d, 3s 6d, &c, being obtained, which were less than the poorest fat lambs in market realised. The market was, of course, a double one, but surely that did not warrant tho calves being sacrificed in such a wholosale manner. The excuse will be made no doubt that the shortage of feed and the low price of store cattle makes the rearing of calvoa this season unprofitable, but with tho dairy industry now established on a Bound basis in the district dairy stock should always bo worth rearing. Tho wholo remedy appears to lie in a nutshell and it was pointed out a wool; or two ago in our dairy column " X.cop better cows and keep less of them." So long, too, as the dairymen keep on breeding from the mean-looking, mongrel bulls such as ore too often to be seen, so long will the rearing of their progeny be unprofitable. [The pedigree stock sales are coming on and every dairyman who can afford it should go in for a good bull of whatever breed he prefers, even if to make up the purchase money he has to cut tho throat and sell the Wdo of tho ill-bred animal he now has doing Stud duty among his cows. t THE IBIPORTATIO** OF STOCK. The Australians are evidently beginning to look with a jealous eye upon the large importations of the best horses, cattle and cheep that the Argentine breeders are making from Great Britain. The Sydney Matt points bat that " the exports of pastoral produce to Britain have steadily increased and the quality improved, until now South America occupies an enviable position in the frozen meat trade, and is fast approaching perfection in the production of marketable wools. This has been accomplished while Australia has been either standing still or advancing so very slowly that the progress is barely perceptible. One of the cause* of the Argentine's success is the liberal way in which its stock have been improved by constant importations of British stock. . . .

If Australia," tho writer goes on to say, ** intends to keep a prominent place ia the British markets with her batter and meats she must not be parcimouious in the matter of obtaining material." The Mail also states that "the resolntion of the dairy farmers' recent Conference, that the Government should import and distribute somo of the beet British cattle, although favourably received by the Minister for Agriculture, has led to no action. The suggestion that the Governments of New South Wale 3, Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia should co-operate to make np a largo shipment in one of the fast Liverpool iivo stock boats of dairy cattle and ■wine, although well supported by many dairymen, seems to have been overlooked. A -shipment of the kind would cause an immense saving on tho ordinary rates of freight, charges, and expense for fodder and attendance." In New Zealand the dairy industry has been fostered iv many except in the one important one of improving the dairystock,butaneffortshould be made in this way either by encouraging and assisting dairy farmers to make more use of well-bred bulls from our best breeders' herds, or by the importation of fresh strains. Less attention has been paid of late years in New Zealand to the importation of stud sheep as the efforts of breeders have been mainly directed to the crossing of various breeds now in the country with a view to obtaining the most profitable sheep for wool and mutton purposes, different districts going in for different crosses in order to produce a breed that will best suit the feed ( and climate. It is pleasing to note, however, that several of our prominent breeders who visited England during the recent Jubilee proceedings have returned with new strains of blood of the breeds favoured by them, and noticeable, among the importations are those of Messrs Stuckey, Stead, and Logan. The remarks of the Sydney Matt as to the necessity tor keeping pace with the Argentine breeders in the matter of improving flocks and herds are sensible and should not be overlooked. Since tho above was in type we learn that three purebred Ayrshire bulls from the Oamaru district were shipped to Sydney last week to the order of the Agricultural Department of Now South Wales. As we have been strong advocates of the tuberculin tost, we are pleased to note that these animals were inoculated before they were "placed on board the steamer, and we presume they-came successfully through tbe ordeal. SHROPSHIRE FLOCK BOOK. We have received from the secretaries, Messrs Alfred Manseli and Co., Shrewsbury, tho fifteenth volume of the Flock Book of Shropshire sheep, published by the Bhropahiro Sheep Breeders' Association and Flock Book Society. Tho work is exceedingly well got op and contains some well executed engravings of typical specimens of the breed. Considerable care is evidently taken to ensure purity of breeding in the entries made in tho book. All rams entered must be named, and duplication of names is not allowed. No ram or flock is eligible for entry unless bred by a registered breeder, or unless the flock has been directly descended from a registered flock. A page is devoted to favourable points in connection with the pure Shropshire sheep, and the work includes, besides the main contents, other information useful to the breeders of Shrofiehirear.

i RANOIORA SHOW. The annoal fixtute of the Northern Agricultural and Pastoral Association, held at Rangiora on Thursday last, was on the whole very successful, but several departments were not up to the standard of previous yean. The sheep showed a falling off in numbers as compared with last year, but there were nevertheless some strong classes nud keen competition among various well-known breeders in the district. The cattle were fair, and the show of horses, especially draughts, exceptionally good. The attendance, contrary to the experiences of other associations that have held their shows, was not quite up to last year's return, but the rain that fell during the previous night and in the early morning—welcome as it was—no doubt prevented a , number of people from putting in an appearance at the show ground*.