MAHURANGI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4203, 4 May 1875, Page 3

MAHURANGI.

THE BKEEWXB UK CATTLE. The first of a winter course of lectures on agricultural subjects was given in the Hall, on Thursday last, and it must have been very glutting to the promoters of the scheme to limi .-.u-h a numerous ami attentive audience assembled oa their opening night. The lecture \va» <.n the " Hreeding of Cattle," and Mr. Moore discoursed ably and fully for about an hour .11 the breeding and rearing of the various kinu? of horses, cattle, and sheep, gis-ing us his opinions and experience in clear and forcible language, and supporting his assertions by lengthy extracts from a large array of the best works on such subjects. -After speaking for a short time on the stamp of horses that we have here, and of the kind that would be most desirable to replace our inferior breed with, and the best means of doing so, Mr. Moore passed on to the subject of cattle. He said that he was fully persuaded that for any purpose to which cattle can be turned, in any climate, or any pasture, no breed will be found so remunerative as the shorthorn, and vehemently xirged the strong necessity for the .settlers of Mahuraiigi to import a pure-bred shorthorn bulL lie also pointed out in a very convincing manner the desirability of taking heifers to the very best bull procurable, giving in proof of this a great many very singular instances (taken from a standard work) where the whole progeny of various animals have borne the most remarkable resemblance to the male parent of the firstborn. Many other matters connected with cattle were ably handled, and then the lecturer went on to the subject of sheep. Here, Mr. Moore said, he felt quite at home ; he loved sheep, and had a reasonable hope that his sheep loved him. His whole soul, if he might say so, (and there is no reason why he should not) was wrapped up in sheep, and he believed that, on this subject, he could talk all night (which he mercifully did not). He advised all those who were al>out to commence sheep-fanning to get lambs or two-tooth sheep of a good breed, and to put a young ram with them ; never to start with old ewes, and never to put a young ram with old ewes, or an old ram with a young tlock. As to which is the best breed, there is, as with cattle, the greatest diversity of opinion. Some folks believe in Lincolnshire, others that nothing can compare with the Leicestershire breed ; tut, for his part, he believed that a cross between the two would be found the most suitable for the Mahurangi feed. As usual, Mr. Moore did not give this opinion without supporting it by several instances of his own successes and failures whilst experimenting with the different sorts of sheep. He thought that it would be a good plan for four or live settlers tc form a flock by each contributing ten or twelve good sheep, and sending to England for a pure-bred Lincolnshire ram. Out of this flock a good many rams would be procured ; these might be sold in the district, and, in this way, a very good breed of sheep would be produced. Mr. Moore finished a very interesting lecture by advising the young I>eople to stay 111 Mahurangi, to take up land, and to go vigorously and thoughtfully to \vork, and, if they did this, he was sure that, in a short time, they would become flourishiugfarmers. Afterthelect.ireMessrs. Angove, Barton, King, and others took jiart in a lively discussion on what they had heard. Mr. Angore thought that our present breed of cattle was better adapted for the feed procurable in winter than a finer class would be ; better cattle would require much better pasture and attention than could be given them at present, and that an imported bull was quite out of the question ; £200 would hardly cover the expense, and he would like to know where they could get that sum; besides, there was a great risk of having a very inferior animal sent out. Mr. Sanderson proposed, and Mr. C. Philips seconded, a vote of thanks to Mr. Moore for the instructive lecture he had given them ; and so ended the first of the agricultural debates. The next will be by Mr. Angove, on the " Making and Curing of Uutter," to be given at the next full moon.—[Correspondent, April 25]. [This Bhonld have appeared last week, but was, unfortunately, mislaid.—Ed. N.Z.H.]