COUNTRY CHIT-CHAT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4291, 14 August 1875, Page 1 (Supplement)

COUNTRY CHIT-CHAT.

[wKimu roa tut "weekly herald."! The explanatory and very proper letter on " Shorthorn Bulla," published by the studbreedere, Messrs. R. and E. Maclean, fills up the gap required, and now that the given explanation can be placed side by side with their advertisement, announcing young Shorthorn bulls for sale, it makes the advertisement intelligible, and intending buyers will be enabled to understand and comprehend what live-stock is offered to them. The letter in question discloses, as existing amongst us, a very bad feature —a melancholy one, in fact, for the future quality of stock to be expected. It is contained in the following extract from the letter : —" With regard to Bome of the bulls advertised, although out of good cows, they are not out of pedigreed animals, or they could not be sold for twenty guineas each. It is the custom in this province to buy and use what are called Shorthorn bulls at these prices. And we breed these grade animals to suit our customers." One could not believe such a statement of fact could be true, if it had not come from such undoubted authority. What can be the reason that it is so ? Is it want of judgment in the farmers, breeders, and rearers of calves ? or is it literally want of knowledge? or can it be attributed really to a want of capital only? Whichever way it is, or from whatever cause, it is most lamentable, and for the future of the province moat disastrous, and until now that this admission is made that owners of cows will not pay higher than twenty guineas for a bull, it has been thought they lacked they opportunity of being able to get supplied with pure pedigreed blooded sires—that their only reason, and have had meted out to them sympathy, under such untoward circumstances and ; difficulties. To breed from such grade j animals is a great mistake, when the right ' thing is at all procurable. And a greater ! mistake still is the breeding of them at all ; ! I they should be made into steers. There is j nothing calculated to more surely undermine ' ; the reputation of the stud-breeders than in | ; so doing. Too many of this class of bulls ■ have been roaming over the province already, j and to that may be attributed the downward < tendency of the character of our cattle. liow 1 - many young bulls have been sold as " Young : Havelock," "Young Brigham Young," I "Young Earls of March," &c. ?—scores I and scores. Every cow-keeper came into the market for a long time ; : with such-like young thorough-breeds. It does not become the stud-breeder to breed ; such things, neither will it profit him in the : long run. The importance of breeding from ' pedigreed sires is so great, particularly to a new country, that it cannot be too long and too often dwelt upon; and when the time docs come that people should be considered as educated upon the matter, and if found ; to act as suicidal to their own and country's ; interest, in so far as breeding cattle goes, in • the way Messrs. Maclean tell us is nowbeing done, it may be almost necessary to j ! petition for some coercive measures to be adopted to save them from their own mistake. | . What has made the reputation of Napier and j | Wanganui so great in the extra quality of i ! their cattle and as successful breeders but | the indomitable attention paid to procuring | i thoroughbred sires ? which has not only proved profitable, but pleasant in the knowledge of having added something tangible to the wealth and history of the respective provinces. The races, the regatta, and the cattle show are the three events of the year; they are really the three annual holidays for the Eeoplc, and intimately belong to the people, ecause principally supported by the people as a people, and for many conclusive reasons should meet with unbounded help from every section of this great province. From the report of the last monthly meeting of the New Zealand Agricultural Society, it transpires they are beginning to agitate the desirability of the erection of properly constructed permanent yards in which to hold their annual cattle shows. At first mention of the question one blurts out, " It is time they did think of doing so, it sheuld have been done before." But, on consideration, up to the present time wo find there has been no suitable permanent site available. Now, there is Ellerslie Racecourse, with its railway station accommodation and central and admirable position, , —the best place, above all others, for the I permanent holding of the annual cattle shows. It was shewn that the erection of temporary yards each year entailed a : heavy expense to the society,—some £60 to £70 with other contingent expenses,—which is a serious drag upon the society, by diving deeply into the funds. If this outlay could bo decreased they would be enabled to increase the money prizes. With this view, the managing committee had had some little negotiation with the Eace Club and with Mr. Robert Graham, proprietor of the Ellerslie Gardens, adjoining the race course, which they were instructed to continue and report the result. There cannot be two opinions on the desirability of the matter being carried out, care being taken that the yards erected should be convenient, capacious, and capable of shewing off the stock exhibited to the greatest advantage. The Race Club will make a mistake if they do not enter into the arrangement with alacrity, and act with the greatest liberality to the society, failing which, Mr. Robert Graham, at a public meeting in Auckland, having ex-

pressed himself desirous of farthering th* interest of the Cattle Show in every way in his power, will have to be made terms with ; and, seeing that the position of the site of his gardens is almost equal in position with the race-course, it will not very much matter to the public or the exhibitors which site is obtained, so that the proper and necessary facilities for safety and success are provided. If the society can shew to the public increased comfort in viewing and a more complete show, they (the public) will not be slow probably to substantially increase their annual donations and subscriptions, which will materially tend to make the Cattle Show of 1875 a most complete one. Cincinxatcs.