THE JERSEY AT HOME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20722, 15 November 1930, Page 20

THE JERSEY AT HOME.

MAINTAINING BREED PURITY.

Tht regulations which the Roya! Jersey Herd Society, of Jersey Island, imposes upon its members, are directed toward maintaining the purity of the breed. For over 150 years tho importation of livestock has been prohibited. This eliminaates any possibility of the intrusion of other breeds. But in tho breeding of livestock, variations in the type of progeny frequently occur, and reversions in type to some remote ancestor occur at occasional periods. The Jersey Islander, zealous to maintain the established type, will only accept for registration in the Jersey Herd Book animals which have passed inspection by recognised judges, appointed by the society. These inspections are held at frequent intervals, are notified in the press, and held in a public place. For the registration of calves the proprietor of qualified and registered stock is required to obtain within 24 hours after the calving of a cow the attestation of a member of the Agricultural Department, ' proving that the calf is the offspring of such a cow. If the calf is a heifer she must, after calving, be submitted for qualification by the appointed judges, and if she fails to qualify on type, her calf will not be registered. In the case of bulls, the dam must be submitted with the bull for inspection, unless the cow has won a prize in the cow classes of the society. This step is taken to ensure that tho bull and his dam are both of good type, and unless the bull be approved and passed as qualified stock, his progeny cannot be accepted for the herd book. No bull can be qualified under 12 months of age, and the judges may, at their discretion, refuse qualification to a bull they consider undersized.