Agricultural.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 82, 3 February 1876, Page 7

Agricultural.

SHORTHORN SALES AN© SHORTHORN VALUES. An English contemporary, who has for, many years upheld a particular strain of shorthorn blood as the best, the purest, the only real blue blood of the shorthorn world, has lately shown a disposition to hedge. He would now leave to those who like the task the defence of IQOO-guinea bids. Whilst admitting the enormous increase in the value" of the live stock in the whole provinces from an infusion of shorthorn "blood, he asserts that any defence of 4000 guineas for a single bull which is based on such a fact as that overlooks the certainty that the economy of meatmaking does not binge on relationship to any single family or strain of shorthorns, and he somewhat illogically concludes : — " The power . of a well-bred bull depends — (1) on its length of good pedigree, and (2) on its individual energy and merit. The second of these considerations certainly is not confined to particular names or strains, and neither is the first." Our contemporary -does not suppose that these high prices have been thrown away ; the courageous men who have been the purchasers will be paid for their pluck ; the fashion, he thinks, wili last their time } the ring •may even widen and embrace other favourites and strains ; but he asserts, that. " like many another fancy, its extravagance is artificial — it is magnificent, no doubt, but it is not agricultural." Our contemporary's readers are not informed of the precise figure at which he would draw the line ; whether •at one, two, three, or four thousand, or some figure much below the firstnamed. About his antipathy to " thou-sand-guinea bids" there is, however, no mistake 5 he probably considers that bids of that size are postively indecent, and that owners in prospect should veil their desires in more moderate approaches. Tn what light he will view che purchase of Mr Morton's herd for the sum of -£27,000 without competition we shall probably be informed ere long ; but we may suggest that his opinions pn the subject of shorthorn -value have undergone a remarkable •change since the purchase" by Mr Bstts ofthe " Duchess shorthorns " at Willis's Toorhs in London. It is acknowledged -■by our contemporary as well as by shorthorn breeders, that the value of an -animal is greatly enhanced by the •length and goodness of his pedigree. It is not enough that he is descended from a good stock, he must have done so by a line wbich is calculated to maintain unimpaired, the original excellence of the strain. The " older the so-called purity of the breed " the better — the greater is the power, of the animal to transmithis character to his posterity. The occurrence of the same male several times in the same pedigree, and especially in the pedigrees of both sire and dam, is a voucher for the " hereditary force" of the offspring. It is that -which has imparted special value to the tribes which now realise the highest prices ; it is that wbich causes so great ■a difference in the price of two animals at the same sale, and to some •extent, of the same strain of blood. At Lord Dunmore's sale, the 3rd Duke of "Hillhurst made 4,500 guineas, whilst a hull of his get, from a dam wanting the blue blood, fell to a bid of less than a hundred pounds. The latter went, perhaps, at his value as a good beef-getter in a market glutted with stock of that description j the Duke realised the high figure upon which our contemporary animadverts, because he could boast that long and unimpeachable descent which is admittedly the test of real value in a sire. It is observed that averages which would formerly have been considered satisfactory are not so regarded now 5 that a -£40 average is no longer considered worth noting, and that, especially during the last year or two, prices of the choicest strains of shorthorns have gone up amazingly. The price of meat has risen so much as "to justify a great advance in the value cf the stock which produces "the primest •qualities. , The late Lord Ducie was content with from £10 to £15 a-piece for calves whose progeny would now realise four figures in pounds. The price of meat. is one cause of the difference, but the discovery by graziers generally ■of the value of. stock which possesses the property of laying on flesh rapidly and well in proportion to the quantity of food consumed is another cause of the desire to possess animals of. what is known as pure descent. These, then, realise the high prices they are doing, because they are few ** other bulls and cows pass readily from hand to hand at comparatively low rates, .because ani'- ; xnals possessing a little good blood, intermixed with a great deal of an undesirable kind, are to be. met with every day. The value of good shorthorns has risen all the world over from causes which, inquired into, are found to be natural, and therefore, also, perfectly justifiable. In Britain the value of first-class shorthorns is higher than in this country, bacause there are more persons willing to pay for the privilege of possessing the best of the breed just as they are willing to'do for any other rare object, than there are in this country. That grand old Booth bull Royal Commander has just been re-imported -froni. Aiherit& at the price of 1150; guineas, and' it; is quite probable that Roan . Duchess*; sold at Colac for 2200 guineas, ■would have fetched morejlian tbat sum ia England. — 'Australasian/ , •'-**. •*-*" '• -y ' A , "•*.-' •