COUNTRY NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 15 November 1913, Page 10

COUNTRY NOTES.

, -A- Taranaki young lady—a farmer's aauabter, needless to say—was one© participating in an argument on the merits of the Jersey cow, and to clinch her preference ran off the following lines: — Don't tell us of your Shorthorns, Nor boost the Ayrshire cream; .The purebred Jersey cattle Are the best of all, we dream. In quality and beauty no cattle can compare With the pretty Jersey heifers —the farmer's pride and care. The Jersey with a pedigree Will sell for more by far Than all your Holstein wonders, However black they are. And when we come to milk them we find they are so quiet, That when one's on the market —why, then we go and buy it. The milk which flows so freely, In richness and in weight, Surpasses that of others. Which now are out of date. Now mix with me your praises—the Jerseys are the best, - For no one can deny this —they always I top the test.

This young lady was not by any means singlar in her preference for the little fawn pets, and* it is iremarkable how this breed has progressed in South Taranaki in recent years. Apart from numerous very fine individual pedigree cows which are being dispersed throughout this country, some big herds of splendid cows are being built vp —a matter.'of gratification to every progressive dairy farmer. Recently we published some remarks on Mr Linn's capital herd at Normanby, and especially a few of his very high quality cows, and we now desire to make a short reference to another great herd—that of Messrs A. and J. O'Donnell, at Inaha. About ten years ago the late .Mr A. O'Donnell made up his mind to go into purebreds; he went to Mr Halcombe's herd at Urenui and picked out nine cows which laid the foundation for the present-day herd now at Inaha. The farm is on the 6eaward side of the Main. South road at Inaha, is well subdivided by good boxthorn shelter hedges, and most of the pastures are strong and in good heart. The Jerseys as a whole are in very good condition, and it seems to be proved beyond question that this class of cow will do well right on the sea border of this coast if given a fair chance. As every dairy farmer understands, a good buil is an essential where breeding uo is decided upon, and the Messrs O'Donnell were fortunate in the selection of Blizzard, their first pedigree bull. His daughters have for the greater part turned out splendid milkers, and although nine years of age, the old fellow seems in as good condition and active as ever. Merry Sultan (now five years old), by Campanile Sultan, dam Merry Maiden, and Ossipoff, his son. dam Star, were attractive), wellj set-up animals, and both were leaving good stock. Rainbow, well known in this district, was looking in tip-top condition, without a blemish save for his injured leg. Most Jersey people know what a magnificent animal he is and that he has taken prizes all over ! the country. His very fine limbs, 6plendid body, great constitution, and docile disposition make him an attractive animal to anyone, and his progeny is showing great quality. The latest importation to the farm in the male line was a young bull—Belvedere's Sun Prince, by X.C.8., dam Sunflower V., purchased from Mr Eagle, of Masterton. He will be two years old in December, and is showing every promise. He comes from a great milkine strain, his mother being regarded as one of the best types of dairy oqw in the Dominion. Amongst the still younger ones was particularly noticeable a grand little fellow—Daisy's General—calved m September, 1912, by Molina's General (imp., recently purchased by Mr Wren, of Tokaora, at the Stratford sale for 180 guineas), dam Genoa Daisy (Prince Daisy— Genoa Girl, bred by Harris, of Auckland), a cow which recently qualified under the semi-official test with 360.32. There were nine or ten of this year's bull calves being reared; and of" these a son of Little Lady Beatrice's, eired by Merry Sultan, should develop into a good bull. Another from Lady Gleam, by Belvedere's Sun Prince, is apparently going to be a good type, and co should one of Rainbow's sons from Gloire de Dijon 11. (a half-sister to, Halcombe's great butter-fat cow). Calves from. Merry Daisy 111., b- Belvedere's Sun Prince; Queen Marjorie

111., by Rainbow; Elfie IV., by Rainbow should also develop into good milkmg-type stud animals. Wee ■Daisys calf by Rainbow gives promise ot something above the average. Of the v cows Bilberry X. (Silver KingBilberry V.) was the first to claim attention This was the cow, it will be remembered, that Messrs O'Donnell bought at the last Egmont A. and P. »how for 200 guineas, when Mr H. E. B Watson, of Canterbury, sold some ~hls Mefdowbrook herd. She is in calf to Rainbow, but will not come in i till late. She is a splendidly set up cow. with great capacity, a' perfect udder, and beautiful head and horns. Of the cows from this farm which have recently come through the official test Queen Marjorie 11. scored the most in butter-fat, 430.71 for 349 days. She is by Trethelja's Pride from Queen Marjorie, and is one of those with the perfactly placed udder which, is characteristic of high-quality Jerseys. Lady Gleam, with 387.78 for 308 days", proved herself a good milker. She was very lame all the season, but continued to give up to 521bs per day. Her mother was Gloire de Dijon 11., and sired by Trethella's Pride. She had a bull calf at 13 months, and he went to Stratford. The present owner speaks very well of him, and says that his two-year-old heifers are doing remarkably well, some having gone as high as 401bs per day on a 5 test. Lady Blizzard, sired by Blizzard, dam Lady Marjorie 11., went 361.05 for 298 days. She is a 4-year-old cow, and tested consistently high throughout the season. Genoa Daisy, dam of • Rainbow, came through, the official test —• 360.32 for 326 days—under great disadvantages. She was badly gored shortly after sb.e came in, and was about on three legs for a month. Her breeding is Prince Daisy, dam Genoa Girl. Lady Marmion 11., a pretty dark fawn 3-year-old heifer, did 301.31 for 258 days. She is by Rose's Boy, dam Lady Marmion, and her heifer recently sold in Hawera for 41 guineas. Gloire de Dijon HE. just over three years, put up 293.40 for 245 days. She belongs to a great milking strain, sired by Blizzard, her dam Gloire de Dijon II being sister to White Patch, Halcombe's great butter cow, which made more butter-fat in the test last year than the Holstein, although beaten on points. Queeii Marjorie 111. (under three years old), by Rose's Boy, from Queeii Marjorie, is a beautiful type of cow, with fine short legs and great body. Her record was 284.97 for 292 days, and she tested up as high as 9.8. There were numbers of other good cows on the farnv, but in this brief 'article it is not possible to notice them ail- A hundred acres of the farm have been let to share-milkers, and on this they are running 70 cows, including '25 pedigree Jerseys. It was this herd, and on this same 100 acres, which last year produced 1911bs of butter-fat per acre. Two cows, Little Lady Beatrice (by Lord Lepperton, dam Lady Beatrice) and Lady Blizzard XI (by Blizzard, dam Lady Marjorie II), were this year going through the semi-official test. Wee Daisy, by Blizzard, dam Little Daisy, is a very attractive animal —a light fawn with a beautiful silky coat. Messrs O'Donnell say that she regularly gives 25 to 26 lb. of milk in the morning, and is a very high tester. She is altogether a pretty cow with a perfectly-placed udder and prominent milk veins. She qualified under the official test last year as three-year-old, making 303 lb. Standing alongside her was a dark fawn two-year-old heifer, Queen Rainbow, by Rainbow, out of Queen Marjorie 11. She is a beautiful little animal, with a perfectly quiet placid disposition, a great body well sprung, and a splendidly placed udder carried up very hiigh. She is Rainbow's eldest heifer, and if her coat can be got up sufficiently in the time she will be put in the Hawera Show. A little heifer, Irma, by Rainbow, from Barbette, would be hard to find a fault with as a yearling. She has a splendid barrel fine shoulders, well-placed udder and teats, and good length of body. Connemara, a daughter of Blizzard's, qualified last year as a two-year-old with 293 lb. Golden Lass, bred by Halcombe, Messrs O'Donnell consider one of their best. She is a great milker, and will be entered for next year's semi-official test. Queen Marjorie IV —half-sister to Queen Marjorie III — was milking very well for a 2^-year-old heifer. A cow worthy of more than a passing notice was Star, by Starlight (imp.), dam Clementine IV (imp.). Unfortunately she injured her teats when a heifer, and is now only useful for I rearing calves. She would have made a splendid cow but for this accident. i A fine lot of yearling heifers were rounded up for inspection. These included a number or grades and eleven pedigrees, the sires being either Rainbow or Blizzard. Some of them show excellent promise, but space will not permit of any individual reference to them.