COUNTRY NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XVIII, Issue XVIII, 30 November 1912, Page 2

COUNTRY NOTES.

. CONTRIBUTION II

(By Our Special Representative.) Before passing on breed I thoughtil; would visit our old friend;

Mr Jonn Inilah, whd-lives on the1 Main .South load, just,/'this side of Kaupokonui. . Mr Imlah isr a Hblsteiri fancier, arid although he has leased the greater part of his farm is still doing his little bit to push along the higher class stock. He is the owner

of Topsy de Kol, a very fine purebred Holstein cow, bred by Mr G. Aitchison, of Kaitangata. She impresses one as a cow that will take a lot of beating, being true to type and very level all over. She has three-quarters of the old Dutch strain, introduced originally by Mr Grigg, of Longbeach. One of Topsy's progeny —a 10-month-old bull, by Commodore de Kol —is a likely looking youngster. Mr Imlah was rather gone on a week-old heifer calf of Lassie ll.'s, by Sir Bruce de Kol.

and you are pretty sure to be right."

tford

He was taking great care of this one, and it was most certainly a promising calf—well-framed, but for markings rather too much black on the body. This was Lassie's second calf, her first being Lass of Gowrie, which won in the yearling class at the Hawera Show. Juno, a very stylish 2-year-old heifer, bred by Mr Aitchison, of Kaitangata (Nazli de Kol—Venus de Kol) would take anyone's eye, and she should b© the makings of a splendid cow. Juno's calf, named by Mr Imlah the Gay Gordon, gives promise of developing well. «

So much ?or these purebred Holsteine. Just how far their progeny will justify the breed in actual butter-fat production later on remains to be seen. It is generally admitted that they will have a "run," and that they may prove exceedingly useful in crossing with Jerseys, but like every other breed they will have to produce records if they are going to stay. The strain that is being introduced by Mr Deacon and by Mr Imlah has some very great milking records, and if these are maintained by later generations—and there is every promise of it so far —then these Holsteins will prove a factor in bringing up milk tests in the near future.

Apropos of shows and judging, I may say that the judge of the Jerseys at the Hawera Show see::is to have given pretty general dissatisfaction. He seemed to be under the impression that there coul.l be no good Jerseys outside Auckland, and that was excusable to some extent in an Aucklander. But the sale of Watson's Jersey cows at the show, and the very high prices they brought, afforded a pretty good reply to Mr Tapp's opinions. Mr Imlah related a conversation he had had with old Mr Wm. Duthia, rue of the best judges in Scotland, which is worth while reproducing fc.- the benefit of young judges. "It is a great mistake to place yourself in tie middle of the ring when you are judging, and the cattle between you and the public," said Mr Duthie, with a twinkle in his eye. "Just reverse this order. Put the stock in the middle of the ring, then walk around the outside of the cattle, with one eye on them and one on the public. Remember the public are judging those cattle, too, and if you can spot that they have sorted

out the same animal as you have for a place you can settle on that at once,

I will now pass on from purebred stock to a typical, well-managed Taranaki dairy farm —that of Messrs Claque Bros., just beyond Manaia. Here we find a well-kept, well-managed dairy herd of 86 cows —typical Taranaki dairy cows, of no particular breed, but a little of every breed. I was going to remark that there was not a pedigree animal on the place, but this would not have been correct, because right in front of me, and looking remarkably well, was Goddington Blue Bell, the pretty little fawn 2-year-old heifer bought by Mr Claque

for fifty .guineas at Watson's sale at

the Hawera Show. Blue Bell was bred by Mr Geo. Gould, of Christvchurch, by Goddington (imp.), dam ! Blue Bell Bth. But to return to the main dairy herd. As I remarked previously, the cows were well looked after and in good condition, and as a consequence were well up to their work. There were Shorthorn, Jersey, Ayrshire and Holstein crosses to be seen, and a, big cow with a lot of the Ayrshire in her was giving the biggest butter-fat yield. There were some good ordinary dairy cows, but there were also some which should be culled out. I noticed some promising heifers, and particularly a bunch of five with a lot of Jersey in them. Testing and culling have been going on at this farm for the past year or two, and the average over the whole herd was 41bs better this last September than for the same month last year. And now let me get down to some actual figures, and take the last test-ing-sheet available—September. The top cow was an Ayrshire cross, and she gave 14701b of milk, 4.1 test, and G0.271b of butter-fat. The next was a

little half-bred Jersey, a third calver, with 11251bs milk, 5.2 test, and 58.501b butter-fat. These were followed by a half Jersey, 1110 lb mlk, 5.1 test and 56.651b butter-fat; a cow with a Jer-

sey strain, 11621b milk, .4.7 test, and 54.611b butter-fat. Thic cow did not do well last year, giving only 2561b butter-fat. This yeai she promises much better. Coming in at the beginning, of July she had recorded 1791b

to the end of September. A strawberry colored cow —more Shorthorn than any other breed- I—recorded1—recorded 11621b milk. 4.4 test, and 51.121b butter-fat. A goldencolored three-quarter Jersey—only her second season —had the good record of 11171b milk, 4.6 test, and 51.381b .but-ter-fat. . A little roan Shorthorn cow, not much to look at, gave 1200 lbs, 4.2 test, and 50.401b butter-fat. A littlo three-quarter Jersey—always a high tester—recorded 900 lbs milk, 5.6 test, and 50.401b butter-fat. A white Shorthorn came well vp —11101b milk, 4.5 test, and 49.951b butter-fat —as did also » big red Shorthorn, 13501b milk, 8.7 test., and 49.951b butter-fat. A little ee.cond calver Jersey did well, 10121b milk, 4.8 test, and 48.571b but-; ter-fat. and a young Ayrshire-Short-horn also did well with 12221b milk, 4.0 test, .and'4B,Bßlb butter fat. A big second calver grade Jersey tested 11171b milk, 4.4 test, 49,141b butterfat, arid a very nice Ayrshire cross; 12901b milk, 3,8 test, * and 49.021b Kutter-fat. These -were the be?t of the herd* and a very good ','best" considering, but it is as well to take some from the other end of the list. Some of the>■. lowest were ,2-year-old, heifers, and this is, of course, to be expected. Here are some of their tests: 547, 3.6, 19.69*; 577, 3.8, 21.92; 705:, 3.8, 26.79; 697, 3.6. 25.09. One old cow tested 832, 3.4, 28.28. Another—a rough'- Shorthorn with not much--condition —97s, 3.5, 34.12. A T'O-ndtescriDt Holstein-colored cow 945, 3.8, 36.91. Still another, a flush cow, too fat in the autumn, but does not

last. , She appears as ?a sf'cull" in, the agricultural journal; lp£7,. 3.6, 36,97. Such cows as these 4ast mentioned should go put as soon as-possible if, the average test is to go up. Messrs Claque Bros.'; test for th©^3orda^ .periq^H cos£er-' jn^:^t^p^^ber^wal^|MirnS^6f pilk* per cow, 990 (Contesting Association average, 871) ;^ ' test\ 3.94 (association: jtest, 3.72); average butter-fat per cow, ■39.09 lb (assbciatidß'.a^age 32.40) i