AUSTRALIAN PEDIGREE CATTLE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19257, 22 August 1924, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN PEDIGREE CATTLE.

NO COMPARISON WITH NEW ZEALAND HERDS. WELL-KNOWN FRIESIAN BREEDER’S VIEWS. _ (Fbom Our Own Correspondent.) PALMERSTON NORTH, August 21. Mr H. R. Green, a well-known Friesian breeder, las just returned from a visit to Australia. He travelled extensively through Victoria and New South Wales and viewed various stud herds with a view to drawing comparison in New Zealand. In the course of an interview with a pressman Mr Green expressed the view that the herds m the two States through which ho had travelled could not compare with those of the dominion, mainly because they had not been so long established and because tbe methods of production were different from those in New Zealand. Although several importations had recently been made from New Zealand the sires were not what they should be. “In Australia they have made the mistake as had been made in Now Zealand,’’ continued Mr Green, “namely, that of retaining too many scrub bulls, but the breeders ;,re gradually coming to realise (hat it is of no use keeping them. If a cow; has a i eng ped'gree it dees not necessarily follow that her son is going to bo placed into the herd as a sire. In this respect they will benefit by the experience of the dominion Several shipments of both sexes have also been imported from, the United Slates, where there exist some of the greatest breeding establishments in the world, but even these do not. come up to the New Zealand beast, and I am convinced that if we were to boost and feed and milk in the same manner in which they do, wo could more than hold our own with them. I will say, however, that one of the best beasts I saw there was an importation from Canada, There is a fair market for Friesian females at the present time, hut the price offered is only moderate, Australian breeders not being prepared to pay the full value for the animals.”

( Speaking of the records and tests, Mr Green continued: “I was interested to observe the difference in the regulations which govern cattle under test in Australia and those of the New Zealand Agricultural Department. In both v ictoria and Now South Wales all cows which are to be in the hovel are placed under test unless proved to be unsound, whereas here a man may submit only a small number for the test. I favour the New Zealand scheme because I consider the Australian method an injustice to the higher producer, inasmuch as it is not a fair test for a high-producing cow if she is not cared for and fed according to her high yield. The majority of the dairy cattle over there now are Shorthorns, with a sprinkling of Ayrshires, but Jerseys and Friesians are fast coming into prominence.”