HINTS ON FORMING HERDS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1507, 17 January 1901, Page 51

HINTS ON FORMING HERDS

Mr C. Morgan Richardson recently delivered an instructive lecture on this subject in regard to Shorthorn breeding before the University College cf Wales; and as much that he says is also applicable to the breeding of dairy stock, the following portions of the lecture are extracted :—For those who cannot afford to start a herd with pedigree animals there is one alternative, and that is the adoption of the practice of grading up, which is the one adopted in North and South America. It would not he necessary to get rid of the cows in their herd if they are already of a useful character, but merely to purchase a first-rate Shorthorn sire, and repeat the process three or four times. The result would be, in the fourth or fifth generation, that the farmer would have a. herd: of a. useful character, almost indistinguishable from Shorthorns. But he should buy the best sir e possible, not minding so much any question of colour, and if ,a man is not fastidious as to colour, who would take a white calf or a plain coloured one, he could suit himself with a good animal at very reasonable terms. It is not my experience that the second cross is a. failure. What really is a failure is the attempt to breed first crosses together and this may be the reason why the second cross is so unpopular. My own experience is that the second cross is frequently superior to the first, and that the third and fourth improve in the same proportion, but it is absolutely essential that in the case of every cross the sire should be of pure and registered blood. And it may be that an inbred sire, that is to say a. closely-bred sire, would be the most useful for that purpose. An Argentine friend who stayed with me last summer, and who possessed a very large farm in Argentina—l may say that lie liad 16,000 head of horned cattle on one farm, with a thousand breeding mares—told me that the Argent-mas preferred for this purpose an inbred .bull, because this closely-bred bull would, in a few generations, from their common Spanish animals, produce animals equal to the registered Shorthorn. For this reason the Argentines would buy a bull from the closely-bred herd of Warlaby in preference to a better-looking one from the ordinarily bred l cattle of this country. And while you are adopting this grading-up process you. would have the advantage of knowing that you are not only improving your females, hut the males you would rear as steers would be more valuable. They would probably be worth £1 to £2 a. head more than those you are rearing at the present time. Tber e is yet another alternative, and that is, instead of grading up the whole herd, to buy one or two pedigree animals and build up a herd from that material. But. you must be certain of the type to which you intend to breed. So much time is wasted in changing and chopping from on e kind to another. Attend a few shows and sales to decide what style of animals you most admire, and buy aocordingjy; or if vou are absolutely ignorant on the .subject, be guided by a friend on whose judgment you can rely. Buy locally for climate’s sake, if you can. The best looking ones in these selections are generally bad getters, or doubtful C

breeders. Beware of the neatly filled heifer or calf, as having been specially prepared for sale. “Well brought out” she may be, and she may pay you if you wish to keep her for show purposes, but. there is a great element of risk if you want her for a breeding cow, and her comparatively ragged-four-year-old sister, locking, perhaps, at her worst because she is reduced in, flesh after calving and suckling; will be a far safdr purchase. One is an unknown quantity, for there is always a danger of the young ones going to pieces, and in the case of the ■high-conditioned heifer there is more than a possibility that she may never breed, and more than a possibility that site may prove an indifferent milker. The other lias all. her faults and virtues ascertained. and the buyer has the- advantage of knowing net only that she will breed, but that she can breed. Besides the competition is generally for the yonn" ones, and the cow will probably be bought at less than half the price of the heifer. Have nothing to do with a cow that has broken service -two or three times. A prudent buyer can rarely go wrong by purchasing a regularbreeding cow six months gone in calf, even though she may be as much as jiine or ten years old-. I think a. tenant farmer had better not trouble his mind about bleeding from any particular line or family. I think be should buy good, straight, square cattle, with good milking vessels, and cross them with a firstrate bull.

The monthly circular issued by the Department of Agriculture shows that the exports of meat and dairy produce for the month of December from all parts of the colony were as follows: Butter, 33,650 cwt, valued at £133,662; cheese. 7873 cwt, valued at £18,195; beef, 16,5/Gcwt, valued at £18,£97; carcase mutton, 52,268 cwt, valued at £58,350 ; legs and pieces, 890 cwt, valued at £943 lamb. 2225 cwt, valued at A 3529. Except for butter, these figi?res show a considerable shortage on the exports for the corresponding month of 1899, th.e values of which were as fellows : —Butter, £122,349; cheese, £22,664; beef, £27,879; carcase mutton, £104,059; legs and pieces, £2132; lamb, £BOI4. In the total expert for the nine months from March 31st, however, there is still an improvement on last year’s figures for the same period, except i:i mutton, which shows a decrease of £210,891 for the period.