JERSEY BREEDERS' CLUB.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIV, Issue 234, 10 September 1924, Page 3

JERSEY BREEDERS' CLUB.

LECTURE AND DEMONSTRATION. Nearly a hundred daily farmers, and others, assembled at the Hastings racecourse afternoon, to witness a demonstration of Jersey stock by Mr. Watson, the official demonstrator, under the auspices of tfie Hastings Jersey Breeders’ dub. Mr. W. W. Smart, in introducing the lecturer, said the club was young and that it had been started by. an amateur, and not by the association, for tne purpose of encouraging dairy farmers to maintain a high standard in their herds. He hoped tne iarmers would assist the club in every way possible by taking a practical interest in its meetings-

Mr. H. E. B. Watson, in the course of his lecture, said that it was a young club and he did not expect to see so many present. The work of the Jersey cattle had been consistently satisiactory and there was not the slightest diminuition in their popularity. They had been well tried one in all climates, from Alaska to southernmost New Zealand and they had proved themselves the best machines lor production in the world, he said machines, though many, farmers did not give them the attention they paid to their machines or their motor cars, and he emphasised the fact that faimers would only get from thencows what they gave them. Old breeders were, he was sorry to say, the culprits in many instances. Milking Shorthorns. Ayrshires and Jerseys had been tried carefully over a three year period and the worn oi\the Jersey had exceeded the others by £4 10/-. A pound of butter was worth twice as much as a pound of beef, and it was produced just as cheaply, so that consideration of beef was not worth much to Jersey, owners. The breed came into profit in two years and they continued to give butter for 14, 16 and even for 20 years, in addition to producing calves.

IMPORTANCE OF CONSTITUTION. The matter of constitution, was not looked after so as to get standard. They must see that the cow has wide nostrils and ample chest room, depth rrom the top or rhe shoulders to tne noor of the chest. She must be full uemnd the shoulders, wim springy ribs and capacity, with a wide mourn and strong unuer jaw, so that the bouy can ue filled in the shortest time, giv.iig her tune to sit down and masi liculu tne food. She must have length or body and well spread ribs, sweeping uacK at a great ung»e, with a large space between the last rib and tne nip hone. The cow should Have a uroihi lorehead, with large prominent and placid eyes, which indicated tne dairy temperament ana vitality, which enamed them to do the work. The spimu column, in a good cow, showed clearly along, the hip bones are narrow Li themselves and the pin bones line, with a long length from the pins to the hocks and fine thighs. The tail should be whiplike, falling to the nocks. THE MAMMARY SYSTEM. There must be a well developed mammary system, with a long tortuous miiK vein on either side or the abdon.en and, at the end of each, milk wens large enough to insert the little anger or thumb. Seventy-nve per cent, of the milk obtained was given while milking the cow and if the animal was abused or excited the chain of supply w.ou.d be broken and the cow would not let the milk come down. The cow was the foster mother of the human race and she must not be abused, if they treated her well she would pay them hack 100 per cent. There must he length from the hip bone to the pin none and width across the hips, whilst the udder must be capacious, well hung and well held up. The udder must, aiso be of good texture, responding sort and spongy to the touch when diushed milking. THE PERFECT ANIMAL. For show purposes the stock should possess character, quality, style and mush, all well balanced, in order to win. as. in an animal possessing outstanding qualities, one vital defect showed up very badly. The animal should have a well shaped head, with a broad forehead, tapering to the poll, with shoulders oblique and well rounded off, in addition to the qualities mentioned above. A lair length from eye to nose, horns medium at base and tapering, ears medium, carried erect, orange coloured hair inside and fringed with silky hair, a straight line from the back of the ears over the back to the tail head, with the pin bone level wit hthe hip bone and an

imaginary straight line from the top of the back teat to the navel. The man that succeeded in combining the quality, of greatest production with beauty of form would command the best prices for his stock and the most customers. In judging for shows, he considered that the quality of dairy production should override an isolated blemish in form. In breeding for pedigree stock the breeder cannot afford to sacrifice type, because if production was the only object there would be no need for showing at all. I'he show ring was the place to correct faults and to keep up the standard, but both the standard in type and production must be maintained because they were inseparable—united they stood, divided they fell. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. In reply to questions, he said when the cow was turned out she must get the food necessary to feed the normal tissues of her body and she could not get that from a hay stack or from a neld of turnips. East milking produced more milk. Fawn or fawn-white were the proper colours, but animals could be bred to colour. THE STUD BULL.

Dealing with bulls he said that a herd sire could either make or ruin a herd in three years. To procure the oest producing cow, a bull must be built on the same lines, but the masculinity must bo definitely marked and he must be wide awake and vigorous in his manner and bred, from the best ancestors, right close up . A bull should be bought because he came from a lot of good immediate ancestors and not because he came from a good cow. He must have individuality if he is to transmit good qualities. Purchasers should not be led away by what they read in the catalogues. They should see and inspect the animals for themselves, make sure that their individuality was right and that their ancestry, close up. was good, as it was no use going back a long way for an ancestor. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the lecturer, on the motion of Father Seymour, of Greenmeaoows. The first annual sale of pedigree Jersey bulls will be held on the Hastings racecourse at noon to-morrow (Thursday).