SCRUB COWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 247, 11 July 1908, Page 3

SCRUB COWS.

ABOUT THE WORK AT : , levin. To THE EdITOE. . Sir* —It ,is quite refreshing to see that; . thore are ,somo gentlemen' who have the' , ooarago to oxpress their opinions, publicly. At ; . tho National Dairy Show, several members of the Jersey/ Breeders! Association severely, criticised the cow's at the Levin Experiment Farm as "a scrub loti" which remarks are only too-true,-with tho exception of the : champion cow ."Maud," and she was bred on the Farm, while under tho control of, the. . Labour Department. ■ "Maud" has been exhibited several times at the Levin Show as a "crossbred Holstein." To give such a vague description of such a cow, reflects very •little.credit on the Agricultural Department. To,have,written "This.is a cow".would not havo been more absurd , than the above description, and it would havo been just as educative to the farmer,-as it would leave him just where ho started, and in the same dilemma as the' heads of the Levin Experiment Farm are at present. They have conceived and brought forth nothing.

"Maud's". Pedigree. . What' the Jersey Association is asking for, is on what lines should they follow to breed such oows as "Maud." They, are as follows: —"Maud's" dam was a purebred Ayrshire cow, Brpd by, Mr- Cowan, ...of: Palmerston, South. , The sire, was bred by Mr. John Grigg,.' of ' Longboach,' , Canterbury. " The sire/of "Maud"'was a crossbred Holstoin and shorthorn. He was by a purebred -Holstein, and his dam was a straight halfbred Holstein and shorthorn. The grand-dam was a purebred shorthorn, and the grand-sire was a purebrod Holstein. Thus making "Maud's" pedigree as follows:—Ayrshire five-eighths, Holstein two-eighths, shorthorn one-eighth. "Maud" is a low-set cow, bearing-a good' dealof the Ayrshire character in, build, and having much of the colour of the. Holstein. •''Thistle's'.' Pedigree.'

• The*next best-cow,' "Thistle," is bred on different lines; She/is by the same sire as :<"Slaud," buther'dam was a mongrel cow, which took two champion prizes' in' Hawera •'as-the best dairy cow in milk. She was after-: <wards:bought in Hawera by the Labour Dapartmenf purely for- breeding, purposes, as. she was then useless as a dairy cow through injuries to her udder. _• Their judgment m selecting: her- for. breeding; purposes' was not miscalculated, as is proven by; her'daughter,. .'-"Thistle." _ In colour and build she has a strong leaning: to the' Holstoin. Results Wanted.'' -As-both.of these.cows are a.little over ten years.of ago,,it would be interesting to know how their, progeny have turned out, seeing ■they have so'many imported purebred short-: .horn bulls to mate with these famous <sows.' ,If tho cross with the • shorthorn bulls has proven a success, then there should be something td show -for it on tho Experiment Farm. J ...

;.It is too_ well-known that the Farm is not giving satisfaction to; tho general thinking public, more especially the farmers. Even . soma far-seeing .members' ot Parliament are not in favour of its present system of working. .■ The practical • up-to-date farmer expects to see and learn something in advance of the' ordinary farming, methods! So far the Farm has not fulfilled their wishes. For years , they havo been, milking on the Levin Experiment Farm . a laTgo herd of mongrel cows,; competing with the dairymen in the ordinary business way.' There is nothing educative or experimental in this,' beyond giving high prices, for 'some of the cows. ■ , • .' " ' ■Plenty of:Scopo, : '' -.7 7 • No one would-take- exception' to the Government milking a largo herd of cows, provided they are all. purebreds; The Farm is admirably situated for a breeding station/and if onjy ported xon ; practical business lines would prove a. boon to all farmers and breeders of stock; and in time would bo a source of large revenue to the' Government. The Farni' shouM not be for the breeding of cattlo_ alone, but should embrace horses and pigs of their \ arious breeds. The first cost in the purchasing of- a stud herd would be very heavy, but inside, of ten years the' Government would recoup most of the outlay, to say nothing , of the good it would be doing the Dominion..l; am sure there is not; a member of Parliament, citizen, or farmer who would raise a dissenting voice against the scheme. Hoping that some abler pen will take the matter.uu, and help to make the above suggestions a reality.—l am, etc., PROGRESS.