POLLED CATTLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5629, 1 December 1879, Page 3

POLLED CATTLE.

In this country P.Wled or horuless cattle are not held in much repute, lnileed, every other quality being equal, a cow minus Horns would not fetch so much at auction as an animal with those appendages. Vet polled cattle are gradually getting into favour both in England aud America; aud even in Australia this breed is receiving some attention. Ai an agricultural meeting htld in the old country some months ago, and enthusiast in this particular breed said Polled bleed of cattle have long been the pride of our aristocracy, they were the pride of their forefathers, and at this iuoment are the admiration and wonder of the world." It is a remarkable fact that at the Paris International Exhibition Polled cattle were placed at the head of all others, both native and foreign, and won the £100 prize for btbt animals in a section that comprehended a great variety of breeds. They also got the award of £100 for the be s t beef-producing animals, over all the nations that exhibited and a3 the Polled cattle had t-> contest against the best exhibits of aluiust 2000 animals from all the local, national, and international show-yards of ditfeieutcuuntrieg^ aud by the adjudication of some 30 jurors, British, French, and others, obtain.:.! prizes, they may well be pronounced by some of their admirers as the finest cattlo in the world. On the 12th of September last a meeting of those interested in this celebrated class ot stock, was held at Abeidue", the Marquis of Huntly presiding. TJie draft memorandum of association was sti rnitted, in which it was set forth that tiie name of the society should be the Polled Uattle Society, and iti object to maintain unimpaired the purity of the breed of cattle Hitherto known as Polled Aberdeen or Angus cattle, and to promote the breeding of those cattle ; and to conduct tie other matters usual for such societies to manage. The memoiandum was, after some slight alterations, approved, and a committee was appointed to lorwardit to the Board of Trade for their licence. On iiie motion of Mr. Taylor, of lileubarry, the Marquis of Huntly was appointed pr sident of the society. A number of noblemen aud others intimated that they would hccoine life members of the society. Writing very recently to the Agricultural OnzUte, an AuK-ii. iui correspondent says :—"1 u.i.an<ltC writ-j you ,in i.niole soon on Polled emtio. I wttut your breeders to net up a race- that: haa the bright pleasing colours and size- oi the Shorthorns, then we will buy of you and commence breeding them largely. T:,e N. folks auel Suffolks are too small, and mo: t of OL-r people don't like the black c.jlo;u- of the Scotch. I saw one such cow as we want in crossing Northumberland in ISG7. aud I presume there are plenty of ctlu s there made by a cross of !;ic Shorthorn on tun re<? Polled Galloway. .< wish you could inquire as to this, and let >;a kno x in thf; Agricultural Gazelle. It is \> ry importaut in shipping cattle-, whether it homo or abroad, that they be harmless. It can be done with so much less suffering aud losj o£ ileah to tha poor animals. They can also be rear el and fattened more easily and cheap y." In, answer to this latter, another wrier has the following: —" Will you allow me, through your columns, to rccommend your American correspondent 'on Polled cattle' to advise his friends to import pure-bred Gall j ways, and cross them to suit their fancy w}ieu they get them home. Cross a pure-bred Galloway with what you like, nine times out oi ten the progeny will be hornhss, and in other respects resemble the Galloway m..rj than its other 'parent,' which is a certain proof of the breed being old and long established. Black tinged with brown has been the fashionable colour for the last thii ty or forty years, but previous to that black auel whites and duns were common. Ido no remember evnr BHfiins almvß nmi or two iml out a in mv lifetime which were supposed to be puiebred. The red heifer your correspondent saw in Northumberland, no doubt was a half-bi ed Shorthorn. Dark colours :u e generally believed to indicate hardiness of constitution, which I should fancy of more importance for auimals having to contend with a Very trying climate "than gaudy colouring to the eye of their owner." it may be stated that for a cousiderablu psiiod Polled cattle have been highly valued in some localities of Scotland, hardly auy of other breeds being kept by many farmers. They appear not to be so wild or so quarrelsome as som» cattle, and therefore more suitable for shipping, as they can be packed closer. Polled Galloways are, on the averag;-, of considerable size aud fatten rea liiy. Tuey are, therefore, iu request by grazier.i. The sauds are sent yearly to the souih to fatten for the London market. A writer iu the Journal of Agricultureaa.y& : —" The Galloway ox is long and low, having a well-rounded body upon short legs. His hair is long, soft, and glossy, the ears are long aud shaggy, and well supplied with hair inside—the excellent provision of nature to meet the wetness of the climate. When slaughtered the flesh and fat are found distributed iu a m&uner titted to produce the most satisfactory roastß and rounds." What are known as the Angus and Aberdeen breeds are, however, superior to the Galloway Polled cattle ; anil specimens sent to some of the agricultural chows at home are said to form a perfect study to the lover of good cattle. But where those breeds carry off the most honours, aud are seen in their full perfection, is at tha Christmas season, when what be accomplished iu the manufacture of meat is very appaieut. Mr. MeCombe, who for a long series of years has been eug.ged in developing the best points of those cattle, says that he has " come to the conclusion that the Aberdeen and Angus polled, and the Aberdeen aid north-country crosses, are the only cattle adapted, under ordinary circumstances, in the north of Scotland, for payiugthe feeders." This, after many years' experience iu stock, is saying a good deal for this breed of Poleys. These cattle have been ntroduced into Canada, where they have the character of easy keepers, early matured, and the quality of the flesh excelliut In that country they have proved good working oxen. An authority, in one of the Australian papers has the following, concerning this breed : —"The Poleyshave considerabietorecommend the mto Australians. Where that course is considered desirable, they are fouud to amalgamate! advantageously with the Shorthorns. As a separate breed, they are amongst the quietest and moat gentle known. They are not flo heavy as Shorthorns, all the conditions being equal, but, as has been seen frequently, they can surpass even the royal breed itself when the occasion arises. In general outline, barring the horns, t; ley are like the Shorthorns. They are excellent travellers, and, r.s likely to yield a very superior carcass for preserving, packing, or shipping purposes, they give promise of high excellence. As a further recominrudation, the Poleys may prove specially valuable for fatteniug and shipping as quiet cattle. It is | with the latter object in view that they are being sought for bo eagerly by European and Atneiican breeders." On some of the runs of this country, where a hardy class uf cattle may be required, these Polled breeds might do very well. At all events they are worthy of more appreciation than they have usually received. When it is rcmemb-ied that, some twenty years ago, an Aberdeen foiled bullock took the honours at a Si : t uield competition, and more recently that Polled cattle in Paris beat all the world, it must be Conceded that tliey are entitled to a elue share of reputation. Aomrm i.