Ayrshires Gain Ground Throughout Mew Zealand

Northern Advocate, 22 December 1948, Page 3

Ayrshires Gain Ground Throughout Mew Zealand

“THE farmer who adopts the Ayrshire breed has the opportunity of obtaining' stock bred from imported bulls of proven ability at a reasonable cost, with the possibility of obtaining the ideal mating breed,’’ said Mr J. E. Closey, retiring president of the Northland Ayrshire Breeders’ Association, in his report presented to the annual general meeting of the association m Whangarei yesterday. . . . Mr Closey said Ayrshires were steadily gaming ground throughout New Zealand and were becoming popular as a show breed, as was instanced at the recent Kaikohe show.

Classification was the biggest single step taken by the Ayrshire Breeders’ Association and was progressing very well said the Northland delegate to the association (Mr R. H. Hobson), reporting on his visit to Invercargill for the conference.

the southern shows this season and next in the various classes, and it was considered that the information Mr Kerr-Davis could obtain while acting in the capacity of judge would be valuable to Northland breeders. LIFE MEMBERSHIP Mr D. W. Bodle was nominated for life membership of the association in recognition of the work he had done to establish and popularise the breed in the years when it had been necessary to sell a bull for very little and take a loss in the hope that the breed would eventually reach the strong position it held today. As the secretary (Mr H. F. James) was retiring from the position he had held from the incenUr" of

There were 400 cows registered by the association and classified by the committee appointed to inspect all the pedigree herds in New Zealand. HIGH STANDARD SET

Such was the standard set for the “excellent” rating that only 10 of those 400 cows had received the best rating for type, he said. However, Mr Robson continued, there was a satisfactory number of cows in the “very good” class, and there was a move afoot in the association to restrict the registration of bull calves to the progeny from cows in the two upper classes.

lion. Mr Bodle said that the service he had given for Ayrsnirc lanciers in the North should be placed on record, with particular reference to the first year, with its sale. Mr James thanked the association for iis gesture, stating that he would always taken a keen personal interest in 'the welfare of the association and the advancement of the breed in Northland. It was decided to restrict the number of the executive to three ex-officio members, as it was found that most of the urgent business could be carried out by that number. In the event of shows and sales, all members could be called upon to act

One point that the classification committee wished to bring before the notice of breeders was indistinct tatooing which became illegible after a few years. The Northland branch decided to recommend that the number of letters of the tattoo be reduced by using oni\ the last figure of the year. Mr H. W. James said he hoped that Ayrshire breeders would not make a fetish of classification to the detriment of production. “After all.” said Mr James. 1 “it is production which sells an animal, not classification."

as required. Officers elected were?" Patron, Mr H. W. James; president, Mr R. H. Rob-, son; vice-presidents. Messrs 11. W. Kerr-Davis and D. M. Walker. The three senior officers of the association automatically became the executive committee.

Mr H. W. Kerr-Davis was nominated as senior judge as it was considered invaluable to have his opinion on the type of stock being bred from recent importations. These animals would be appearing in