THE MEDIOCRE BULL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19762, 8 October 1927, Page 19

THE MEDIOCRE BULL.

A USELESS ENCUMBRANCE. There is almost invariably to be found in every collective sale of pedigree cattle some young bull or other which, so far. as relative merit is concerned, is not good enough to keep as a bull to propagate his species to either the credit of himself or th'e breed which he represents. So far as buving a bull for the purpose of ciossing with Other breeds is concerned, let it be remembered—writes "Petulengro" in the Live Stock Journal—that it is just as important that 3 bull that is puichased for crossing purposes should be as good as though he were wanted exclusively for females Of his own particular breed. The very fact that a bull is well bred and also has a satisfactory test chait are both • necessary and, so far as they go, satisfactory; but if the animai himseL compares unfavourably with a good one it is inconceivable that good breeding plus the fact of his haying passed the test can carry the same weight as with a bull which from a standpoint of merit is well-nigh difficult to criticise at all. Those with comparatively little experience cannot well hav-p failed to have noticed yoUng pedigree bulls offered fof sale which, if altered, are nothing bettei than very ordinary commercial steers, while there is no gainsaying the fact that if animals which in their owner's candid opinion were below a certain standard of merit were not sent to these sales not only would the general standard of merit of such as were there be relatively higher, but there would hKewise b* a' keener demand. It is by no means an infrequent occurrence for a buyei to purchase a bull which he knows is not what he really wanted, but which he purchases, as it were, to help him , particularly so if he is experiencing difficulty in getting suited, tiu~, animal may be backward and ye fu' 6 promise, but even making due allowance for this, there are a consiflerablenumber of pedigree calves born every year which, although kept on in the hopes of reahsmg good prices as young bulls, ought to be altered before thev are many months old Again, although the most experienced mav get deceived in their judgment anyone with even only a fair amount of experience can generally tell when * ' enioving the first summer of his existence whether or not he is good enough o • for a bull, To buv a second-rate one for use merely because he can be secured\ tot a comparatively small outlay is J po J which Should be given a wide berth, an in the national as well as s individual interest every bu no int tended for stock purposes should in potn of merit provide justification for it.