MILKING STOCK FOR JAVA.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1480, 1 July 1912, Page 8

MILKING STOCK FOR JAVA.

THIRTY COWS TO BE SHIPPED. FURTHER TRANSACTIONS LIKELY. A brief telegram- from Auckland last week intimated that nrrau'cnicnts had been made- for n herd of 30 milking cows which was-to be dispatched for Java at nu early date. Particulars to hand in the "Star" indicate that the buyer, Mr. V. li. J. Mulder, is a resident of Java. Butter and chee;e-makiug, according to Mr. Mulder, is not gone in for, except to a very small extent in the hill- country, full use being found for all the milk available for general consumption. The rest may come in time. . In the first instance, Mr. Mulder ■ explained, the cows were procured from Europe, but within the past two years a couple of satisfactory importations were made from Australia. Now, however, an outbreak of pleuropneumonia among the cattle of the Commonwealth has rendered further purchases: from that country impracticable. Dr. (Iβ Blick recently made a vUit of inspection to Ausfrahi, . : and upon his return to Java, lie recommended to for.Agriculture that further fmprirtafions from-''Australia ho not allowed. Ah edict wont forth that in the meantime fresh herds should be selected from Europe. A Costly Undertaking. Realising the possibilities of New Zealand in this connection, Mr. Mulder obtained special''permission from the Government officials to visit this country and procure dairy cattle subject to certain rigorous health tests. Certificates must be produced to .'•how that before jtlie cows left 'Xew Zealand they had been in good health, and that no contagious discuses had occurred in the districts from which they came during a period. of throe months. Thry must not. he allowed tii land in Australia, so that, for purposes of transhipment to the steamer Van ■\Yaerwyck, leaving Sydney on July 15, Mr. Miilder's.herd will bo lightered. By tin , , time lliev reach Java a month will probably have elapsed. _ Then a period of six months' supervision in list follow. Quantity Before Quality. For Java, said Mr. Mulder, we require cows that give- good quantities, because the milk-is sold fur drinking purposes and not fer butter-making, liutterfat content is not the chief consideration. The visitor expressed a preference for the Jersey or the Ayrshire, or either of these "breeds crossed with Shorthorn. Cows from New South Wales and South Australia had proved successful in Java, and so should New Zealand cattle, unless the cooler climate to which they wcro accustomed prevented thorn from becoming wort so soon to the hotter parts. Xo defined milking season exists in Java, the climate being similar' all the year round—exceedingly hot. Efforts, more or less successful, have been made to cross the European and Australian cows with the- Java beasts, but as a rule it is difficult tp get the animals to breed. Cows that have- landed there as springers or that have calved on the wny have'frequently never come into milk 'again. For thin reason Mr. Mulder aims at procuring cevs tint will come into profit after reaching Java. Further Transactions Likely. Asked if there were prospects for further importations from New "Zealand, Mr. Mulder ;nid he thought, there were, if the Xew Zealand cows turu out well, hicause importation from Australia has heon prohibited for a considerable period. Already plcuro has been introduced n.mpiig the Java cattle, and it is being found necessary to remove the herd- , .