NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1639, 21 April 1883, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The "Battle of the Breeds" (says the Queenslander) is being hotly waged in England and America by means of the most practical of all tests — the fat stock showyard. At the Bingley Hall fat stock show, Birmingham, the Herefords had the best of it, Mr Price, of Hereford fame, having carried off the championship with a very handsome steer, three years eight months old, weighing 20cwt 3qr 181b, although as a class the shorthorns were the great feature of the show. The Queen's heifer Lady Maud, by Cherry Duke of Gloucester, was the "crack" shorthorn of the show, and was a good second to the Hereford steer. At the great Smithfield show, however, the shorthorns had their revenge, carrying everything before them. The class for shorthorn heifers under four years old contained the champion animal of the breed, the champion female in every class except that of " any breed " (which was won by a Devon), and the champion of the show. These very important and highly coveted honours were won by Mr Stratton's heifer Lillian, who thus netted for her owner first prize, £20 ; best of breed, £30 ; best female, £50 ; and champion of the yard, £100. This is the second time Mr Stratton has won the champion plate — a feat which has only been once accomplished before, and then by Sir W. Gordon Cumming with Aberdeen polls. This show was a good illustration of the \icissitucles of the show ring. At the Birmingham show this cow was only highly commended, whilst her Majosty's heifer, -second and reserve for championship at Bingley Hall, was placed fourth at tfmithnrid. Again, Mr Price's Hereford steer, champion at Birmingham, was placed pecond in his class at Smithfipld to a steer belonging to Mr Williams, of Cardiff. That tho shorthorns were fairly entitled to their winnings would appear from the Mark Lane Express, a journal of well-defined Hereford proclivities. This paper declares that the quality of the shorthorns could not be gainsaid. In America active preparations had been for some time in progress, by the Hereford men, for the Chicago fat stock

show — the Smithfield of the United States — and they had even issued a challenge to the .shorthorn breeders. J3ut there, as at Islington, the tlerefords were completely distanced. They had, in fact, no show, having only won the sweepstakes for the best two-year-old steer. They, however, carried off the butchering sweepstakes in the dead meat classes with the above steer, and this is claimed by Messrs Earl and Stewart — the gentleman who have imported so many high-class Hereforde lately — as the main atti action ot the fat stock show. The weights of some of the shorthorn winners at Chicago were something remarkable. One steer, with a weight of 11401b at 384 days, showed the enormous gain of 2'971b per day. Another, with a weight of 22201b at 8)8 days, showed the large gain of 2 '591b daily ; whilst the champion showed a gain of 2 451b daily at 574 days. The winner of the three-year-old sweep — Tom Brown — was a shoithorn grade steer, which the judges designated "a model of a butcher's bullock." Il the woodcut of this animal that adorns the Breeders' Gazette of 14th December is at all a correct likeness, Tom Brown is fit to take first place in any showyard in the world.

A company in New York pack their milk lightly in glass bottles, each holding a quart or a pint, and these are sealed immediately after being filled, and then surrounded .vith ice. The seal is broken by the consumer. Cream is also bold in the same way. It is claimed that when tho milk reaches the consumer it is really in a better condition than the ordinary milk left at the farms would alter the same lapse of time. Of course there is some loss from breakages, but the milk and cream obtains a higher rate, winch compensates for mishaps.

The question of sorting wool into a variety of classeslou thestation is one on which there ih still a diveisity of opinion amongst sheep breeders. It is contended by many that the classing at this end ought to take place in the sheep yard, not at the wool table. The principal argument in favour of sjrling into a number of different classes on tho station is that it enables the manufacturer to select such parcels only as will suit his purposes, and thus he is enabled to give a higher price than if he were obliged to buy unsorted clips. On the other side it is maintained that, however carefully sorted here, it has in every instance to be re-sorted by the manufacturer ; and that, as a matter of fact, with the improved machinery now in use, the necessity for drawing tine linus of distinction between the various growths 'of clothing and combing wools of Australia does not now exist,as formerly. It would be a matter of some difficulty to decide as between theoe two opinions ; for, although in the case of carefully-sorted clips a few bales of the tiner clashes may bring extreme prices, the general average, it is said, does not show any decided advantage to arise from cutting up a. clip into a number of subclasses. In short, it is maintained by many wool growers of experience that the London buyers attach little, if any, importance to sellers' classification, and that therefore the trouble and cost of sorting on the station does not bring in corresponding results. VVhile, however, these ditference* of opinion exist on the que&tion of sorting, all parties are agreed that each wool-brand has its relative cominer cial value amongst the London buyers, and therefore the work of classification in the yards — selection of breeding sheep— becomes one of much greater importance than the mere sorting of the fleeces into bales. The importance of this latter is now so thoroughly undei stood and appieciated in Australia that the sei vices of professional classers have been engaged for the present season in Queensland, and the work of classing has already commenced on several large stations in the noith- western districts. — Exchange.

Now wo (Melbourno Weekly Times) are writing of fodder plants, we may mention rye, which, wo consider, has many advantages. It can be sown in almost any soil, and land which has been impoverished by tho continual croppiug of wheat and oats will often give an excellent return ot rye when other crops would fail. As to the preparation of the giound, tho latter may be treated as a fanner would treat his wheat laud. Although we have noticed smut in a few cases, the seed is never pickled. In England it has the suppobed merit of keeping off mildew and blight from the immediate neighbourhood. There is alwa.ys a good market for rye, it being a favourite grain with distillers. As a green fodder, it is very valuable, but ought not to be used among dairy ealtle when in bloom or after.

In Harper's Magazine there is an article on the " American l)airy and its Possibilities" The marvellous development and progress of the dairy interest within the last few years deserves the attention it has received at Home and abroad. It is connected with the ensilage question, and America has much capacity for the growth of green feed, in what is called corn stover, that the writer reckons its animal yield at a 120,000,000 tons. This, under right' con ditions of feeding, could be converted into milk, but it is scarcely credible that the milk produced could be 60,000.000 tons. This stalk crop, though ignored by the Census Bureau, has enormously increased the quantity of milk, butter, and cheese supplied by American farmers to the markets of the world. The question of breed comes in, both as to tho quantity of milk obtainable and the weight ot' butter contained in a given quantity of milk. The Holstein cows are far ahead with the quantity of milk, but the Jerseys are as far ahead in the butter produced. By the storage of green tood, for instance, America can beat all the world for cheapness in cow keeping. "Experience has proved that with skill and labour two cows can be kept on the produce of one acre of land for the whole year," the two cows producing 5000 or 6000 quarts of milk. An Australian stock-f aimer is very well satisfied if svith little or no labour an acre of land will keep two sheep, producing 101b or 121b of greasy wool yearly.