FLOCKS AND HERDS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 220, 18 August 1931, Page 7

FLOCKS AND HERDS.

SCHEME FOR IMPROVEMENT. At the meeting to-day of the general committee of the Manawatu Agricultural ar|l Pastoral Association the following letter was received from the Canterbury A. and P. Association: “For sopie time past the attention of this association has been directed to steps which would make for the further improvement of the flocks and herds of the Dominion. My association rej.lises the great improvement which has been made as a result of the work of breed societies and A. and P. Associations. “The association believes that the elimination of scrub sires from sales would be a big step towards the further advancement of the standard of sheep, cattle, horses and pig.? in the Dominipn, and for that reason would ask your association to consider if it would not be wise to seek legislation prohibiting the sale of animals which are inimical to the welfare of the live stock of the country. It is reedgnised that a step such as is contemplated would of necessity have to secure; a good deal of unanimity before thei! Legislature would enact it, and this Association would be indebted to you lfj you would give consideration to the broad outlines of the proposal and state whether your association is of opinion that the time is ripe for action of the kind. “It is not in the mind ofi this association that there should be any attempt to set up an aristocracy of breeders or that a farmer should be prevented from using animals jwhich he may breed himself and which are suited to his type of countrv,j but it is in regard to the Bales of "males that my association believes rhere is scope tor improvement measures. Criticism of 6Uch a scheme may be (that it would mean increasing our already large number of inspectors, but that is not the wish of this association, which believes that by means of local committees a scheme could be worked' cheaply and nevertheless effectively. ' Several European countries have schemes of the kind m operation, and Ireland has worked an extraordinary improvement in the quality of her cattle in recent years by thu means. The A. , and P. Association added that, if there was a reasonable liegree of unanimity achieved it would endeavour to bring forward a scheme with an outline of the necessary machinery for consideration. The,president (Mr L. B. Mall) said the n atter had been touched upon at the Royal Agricultural Conference. Mr G. Shannon said that before a start was made on the scrub bull • a etart should be made on the scrub cow. Mr Knight said they had been workins fori years on the Stallion Bui. ft wis considered by Mr Morton that a weak point in the elimination of scrub jsires was the allowing of their G° Shannon said they should begin in! the right place, and not allow money’ to be spent in testing cows by different owners year after year Mr L H Collin son considered that the matter was an individual one. for stock owners. It was often difficult to determine on appearance ]ust which were iibQ bad annuals. Pnfessor Peren said the scheme proposed! seemed to be working very well ln it'was decided that the association should iidicate its sympathy for the Bchenie advanced,/and consider the details when they are received.