Shorthorn Cows

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28896, 16 May 1959, Page 3

Shorthorn Cows

Sir, —Regarding your general news item, “Not in Demand,” I handled the list of six Shorthorns submitted by circular to the Shorthorn breeders of Canterbury. I would say Dr. Burns had a good clearance of an extremely unattractive catalogue. One dry and empty was withdrawn for the college menu, three had been in milk two and a half months, and the two autumn calvers were in calf to Friesian A.l bulls. The records went up to 4881 b fat only, the 5001 b fat and over being retained to help the college herd through the winter. I see he has i wiped the two in calf to Friesians as breeders, so I can only conclude he believes in telegony. I wonder at Dr. Burns still believing in that I well-exploded myth.—Yours, etcC. MUNNINGS. Secretary Canterbury branch, New Zealand Milking Shorthorn Asso-

ciation. May 13, 1959. [The director of the Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln (Dr. M. M. Burns), said that of six pure-bred Shorthorns offered for sale through the association, three were sold after two. months. The cows were either relatively low producers or aged. The usual practice was to cull, when opportunity offered, cows below herd average. At the request of the Shorthorn Breeders’ Association, who expressed concern at the loss of purebred cows, the above group had been offered for sale to members of the associa* tion who were given complete records of breeding and production. The fact that only three had been sold at equivalent beef prices supported the comment that there was little interest and that their value had been as winter producers and not as breeders. The reference to telegony was irelevant.]