FARM AND DAIRY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 28 September 1918, Page 3

FARM AND DAIRY.

HOW THINGS GO IN THE OLD

COUNTRY

Under this heading, a Scottish correspondent of the Otago Daily Times writes interestingly. H G says (inter

The live stock position in Scotland — and in Britain —is about all that could Ibe desired. Its true inwardness is well illustrated by the action of a breeder of Clydesdales of the first rank. Some time ago a well-known Canadian expert was in Scotland buying up all the highclass specimens of the Clydesdale breed he could lay hands on. This gentleman was acting on behalf of a firm in the United Slates, of America. One commission entrusted to him was to buy the Cawdor Cup winner of the presetnt. year—Mr James Kilpatrick's three-year-old stallion Oraigie Litigant (19071), from Craigie Mains, Balmarnock. Now that the breeders of the Eastern States have gone into the business in earnest their enthusiasm knows no end, and they are prepared to give i any amount of money for the Clydesdale of merit which has an aristocratic i pedigree. But James Kilpatrick is a | patriot as well as a great judge of hoi-ses. The Americans did not get his ©on of the famous, £9500 Baron of Buchlyyie. Although the agent made the handsome offer of £5000 for the colt, he was under the necessity of cabling to his cleints in the United States: "Craigie Litigant, nb s price.' ' This magnificent specimen .of the breed is .Jjherefore. to remain at home to reproduce his kind. It is in an action of this sort that we have the main secret of the success of British breders of live | stock. Money seldom induces them to part with the animals which fit their purpose. >

Since I wrote last there has been considerable activity in the Clydesdale world. The exportations have not been very ntunenous, especially of late, but there have been shipments to Canada, the United States of America, South America., and elsewhere. Clydesdale onen are in no liurty to seli at present They know what is coming, and they -are preparing .for the great times when the wiar is over. Never in the history of ■the breed .has ±he hiring business, been so keenly^ contested. Societies ' have been chasing one another in quest of the best sires of the breed, with the .result that some horses -have been hired for as far iocward as 1921,, and at terms which have never before, been .equalled. Seasoned geldings of the Clydesdale breed have made unprecedentedly high prices at auction. At Perih recently a horse of this class • *yent over £2aO, .and even three-year--olds have approached very near to £200. V: -anger auiina-lb are {..ruportiottatelv high. \Vhat are the breeders of New Zealand .doing? They are bound to paav .ticipate in ifae boom if they are preparing .for .it. At a recent dispersion sale at Bombie, Kirkcudbright, of the' 18 .animals'sold only .five went at less than .three .figures. The top figure was 520 .guineas .given for the mare Lady Victoria 11. of Bombie (41675), and she went south to .fiefton Park. Liverpool, where Mr Birch is establishing a firstclass stud. England is fairly being invaded by, the. Clydesdale. AnotTier .great stud of lxjcent origin is flourishing near Manchester. •

The same enterprise and dogged perseverance is being' manifested among •breeders of cattle .as with the owners of Clydesdales. ...OurI.two great beef breeds are, of .course the Shorthorn and the Aberdeen Angus, and some of us are inclined .to the belief that they stand supreme the world over. It can at any rat« he .said that in Scotland we have fixed the type, and that our standard in fleshing .qualities and in pedigree is the thing which holds good in every part of the globe. All the great herds of both- breeds in England and Ireland are built up upon S6ottish lines, and are .constantly .reinforced by blood from the northern herds. The'fact is that in the .ooldei* climate of Scotland we not only give shape and style, but we impart the hardy constitution which counie for so much in any kind of farm stock. Heneetho reason that breeders of all climes come here not only for their foundation stock, but for the regular drafts, which are deemed necessary to maintain a high standard of excellence. Recent events in the Shorthorn world go to prove in all its fullness the accuracy of what I have stated. ' Cattle men-—especially Scottish breeders—know full well what is coming. For many years after^tne war Central and Eastern *. Europe will be very .badly off -for. cattle, even of the "ordinary' kind, and the countries which are allied with Britain, as well as ihose which are on friendly terms with its Government, are preparing for eventualities. Breeders in the United States of America are having new infu- , sions of Scottish blood;; Canada is doing likewise; Soutsi America continues to buy the "best of aU'' sorts; Australia is occasionally collecting.a few choice specimens; and South Africa, favorably situated ac regatrds distance from the markets of Europe, is getting its house in order with the rie.w of participating lin the dead meat trade- The actual effect of this is seen in the latest available figures of the Shorthorn breed. The total number of exportation certificates issued by the Shorthorn Society since June of laefc year was 1875, a total which has been exceeded only on one previous occasion. The following were the countries to which the cattle went: —Argentina 680, Australia 9, Brazil 5, Canada 463, Chile 6, Italy-5, South Africa 266, Uruguay 36 Venezuela 25, and the United States of America 478. If I were to consult the records of the Aberdeen Angus breed, the same. fetate of matters would be found. Indeed, a novel feature of our exports is the increasing popularity of the Aberdeen-Angus breed. These great beef cattle. a<re now finding their way to parts of the world where previously they -were little known. It is not, as can b e seen, that the breed is ousting the Shorthorn or any other of its competitors, but tihiat new outlets "are being mad© for first-class stock. South Africa and the Argentine have become increasingly important markets for the Angus.

As I have said we have fixed the type, and the same principle holds good with the breeders of cattle as with such men as Mr James Kilpatrie'k in the case of the Clydesdale. There are1 great times ahead of us. We will not be found wanting when the boom conies along.