STOCK BREEDING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18494, 3 September 1923, Page 10

STOCK BREEDING.

AN : (INTERESTING REPORT. RESULTS OF SELECTION. POSSIBILITIES 03? IMPROVEMENT. 1 Thq ' latest report" of the Now Zealand Board of Agriculture contains a remarkably interesting and valuable series of articles on tho breeding of domestic stock, supplied by soma of the leading authorities on this subject in the Dominion. The work of collecting these articles and note? has been done by Sir James Wilson, ■who has always recognised the vast importance of scientific breeding to this country, which depends so much for its wealth on tho qualify of its. flocks and herds. Sir James Wilson in his introductory remarks deals ably with such subjects as heredity, inbreeding, line breeding., and cut-cross-breeding and climatic outcrossing and quote's the opinion of many world-famed authorities on this subject. But 'undoubtedly the most illuminating information supplied comes from some of New Zealand's own stock breeders. Mr. W. D. Hunt gives a most valuable paper Thomas ever cut in twelve months was on the laws of inheritance in connection with.the breeding of farm animals. In dealing with the importance of pedigree, in conjunction with the right class of animal, he quotes : tho experience of Mr. James Gibson, who did so much for tho improvement of the Merino in Tasmania. In 1868 Mr. Gibson bred tho ram Sir Thomas, which was the most noted Merino of his time The heaviest .fleece Sir 121b. In 1872 Sir Thomas sired Sir Thomas 2nd, who cut 141b of wool. In 1878 Sir Thomas 2nd got Golden Tom, who cat a fleece of 171b and so it went on, with the same blood. In 1890 President— direct descendant of Sir Thomas, cut? 231b of wool of "A" quality and evenness. In 1900 President 3rd sired Paton, who cut 36|lb of wool. So that in a little over thirty years, by selecting those variations in tho direction of increased weight of woolj.' tho weight was increased from. 151b to 36Jib and' this was done entirely •within the flock without bringing in any outside blood. '

Increased Butter-fat, Mr. Hunt might very well have given the results of his*own practical work in the' breeding of dairy cows, for he could certainly show that in a very few years he has by judicious selection, increased the butter-fat yield of his herd by some hundreds of pounds yearly. Mr. Edwin Hall supplies a most valuable contribution on breeding and cressbreeding in which ha deals with ,tho theories of Darwin and the actual work of the great British stock breedersßakewell, Colling, Booth, Bates, Hugh Watcon and others. Mr. Hall in commenting on the experiences of these men says, "Much more evidence mighC be given that ' tends to show that the great secret of success in stock-breeding is the result of picking the most valuable strains or families and conserving those valuable blood linos by inbreeding and lino breed in£." ;•; ... ■ • w\ :^ : " ; /.r■,.■■.■■:'. it is not sufficient, to select and breed from the best individuals; it is necessary to select the best families, as among theirdescendants will bo found the largest number of fine animals. And it is-equally important to know "the bad blood lines." Mr. Evans the most successful breeder of milking Shorthorns .in : England,, says " In breeding for milk the bull is mora than half the herd. You may buy one that? may grade your '-'cattle up, but you may get one which will just as quickly grade them down. - I would rather have a moderate boll from a good family than a. good' bull from a. poor family," . >: v Mr. John Ewan and Mr, W. Perry each deal with the science of breeding farm animals and the whole report ia so rich with valuable information that it should be broadcasted throughout New Zealand. : - •.;'Practical: Application. , It is not to be supposed thai; every farmer can be a successful stock breeder, th& work seems to. require a special aptitude arid temperament, but if every farmer becomes possessed with the genera! principles laid down in this particular report!, it will have an enormously' beneficial influence in the country.; The fact that cur million odd dairy cows only ; average 1681b of butter-fat' as ! ; no ;• credit fo a country that has made dairying one of ; its chief industries- and our farmers' know, and know Well, that" by careful -, breeding and selection', this average yield cauld be doubled. There would be no' need whatever for financiers to worry, about the price of dairying •.land if every cow milked produced 3001b of butter-rat and the most exorbitant? price ever paid for dairy farms would seem small if fhey were stocked with high yielding herds: It is recognised that no such striking improvement could be made in the production of wool as can "bo made-' in the production of butter-fat by selection and breeding, but no one will deny 'that ifhe average weight of fleece could be increased at least by one or two pounds per head and that the staple and general quality of the wool could be so improved that it would increase' its selling valud fully Id per poundsv.- ■,'■'■■■■■.' ■?~>i -.v-\ These seem small . when considered in detail, but they would > add millions of pounds yearly to the wealth oE : NewZealand. -. o . '•

The improvement of all other classes of stock, though not so important as in dairying cattle and In sheep, would still give great results.; We could build up a fcreat industry in pigs if we'' bred and fed these tJiimals .on right lines.!'...- Our toulfry industry would gTow raoidly and become much more profitable than it is now if all our laying birds gave as many «gga as even soma of the second class lards at our egg-laying competitions. There are vast possibilities for improvement in our domestic stock and it behoves financiers and politician.; arid pubHo men generally to realise what such improvement would. mean to the nation, ana* It is not only' in .animal breeding that there is scope for improvement, but in almost every crop, plant, grass, and fruit raised by the farmer - We have already in this country cows which have yielded over 10001b of . butter:faf! for the season against our aveiage of 1681b. We have sheep which have, clipped up to 303b' of wool against Tour average of under 71b, so the opportunities for gam are colossal and we could set the genera] avenge of •production if 'not at an extreme ' standard at least vastly higher than it is now and still leave great possibilities ahead.