FARM AND STATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2083, 25 January 1894, Page 6

FARM AND STATION.

HEREFORDS.

The admitted shortage of cattle in the South Island has caused a very pronounced revival in tho breeding of them to a better sort than the &rass-wasters of bygone years. Until a year ago large property holders had the monopoly of tho trade in beeves, but they abandoned cattle for bhcep-brecding, and now that beef is at a premium, good "fatteners" command high prices, and aro practically unattainable. But cattle of the old common stamp cannot bo made fat until somewhore about four years of ago, when they have about " eaten their heads off." Farmers generally, but dairy farmers especially, cared but little what bulls thoy used so that the cows were brought to a profit as milkors, and the worthless progeny were of course sold for a few shillings each. But circumstances have altered, aud with the recently-acquired knowledge how calves worth keeping can be economically reared, a demand has arisen for purebred bices. Scribblers who never bred an animal in their lives, and know as little of farm economies as a "dog knows about holy days," harp on the theme that there is no such thing as "a generally useful cow" — an animal that will prodnce heifers or steers that will pay for rearing, and give a large yield of milk. These superficial writers are not aware of the contempt in which their assertions of "I know" and the "We have never heard" as concerning stock-breeding matters are held by practical farmers, who are just now bent on breeding tho class of animal known all the world over as the "generally useful," and therefore the profitable, cow. The prominent breeds available are the shorthorn, polled- Angus, and Ayrshires; but lately the Herefords have come into favour, particularly in Southland, and through the influence of one ' herd, that of Mr J. Holms, of Waimahaka. Mr Holme, unlike other breeders of "purebreds," has never sought to make money of .his Herefords by the sale of young sires, but has increased the herd because of the market values he has realised for the stock for many years in succession, and that steers have paid him quite as well as bull-rearing would have done until recently, when a growing demand among farmers has arisen for the " white-faces." The crosses of the Herefords are uniformly good farmers' cattle *, but purebred bulls of the breed are so impressive that the progeny, from whatever cows, are all reds with the markings peculiar to the breed, and with the white or mottled faces. And so it happens that with the demand for Herefords, crossbreds from them are advertised regularly as purebreds. Advertisements appear of Hereford bulls for sale by agents who know well that the beasts are crossbred s, aud tbe pity is that these agents are not held responsible for direct connivance at fraud,because these spurious animals, from a breeder's standpoint, are nearly certain to prove disappointing. As has been stated, Mr Holms cares not about bull-breeding, and for the sufficient reason that his purebred steers bring most certainly the top prices in the market. A draft of them, two years and nine months old, sold not long ago to a Mr Fletcher, was resold by him at the Wallacefedwn yards for £14 5a per head, and only a little while ago 20-month-old steers — the entire lot of the age — were sold for cash as they stood on Waimahaka at £9 per head. It is therefore the intrinsic value of the animals that weds Mr Holms to the Herefords ; aud commencing with them at first in a small way, and with much experience in other fancy breeds, the white faces, he has found, give him the best returns. But he breeds from the very best, not only ia his own herd, but from outside sources. Beginning with purchases from Messrs M'Lean (Auckland), from time to time subsequently other lives were availed of, notably from Loder'H famous herd in New South Wales and from Beattie's, Mount Aitken, Victoria. Mr Holms was thereby enabled to cull and sell the culls, while, having separate strains, he could avoid in-breeding ; and, be it remembered, he has been breeding cattle for the butchers — for beef prices. With the increase of the herd, however, he has found it necessary to procure fresh strains of blood, as the breeding'cows and heifers now number over 100 head. Mr Holms, just as he recently imported sheep from England, would have sent for Hereford sires but that he knew of prime importations to the North Island, where the Herefords are the favourites. Ifc may be well to observe here that the lesßer lights among the Dunedin butchers decry Herefords, although not one of a dozen ever had a chance of killing an animal of the breed. As against these opinions, it may be stated that one of the largest buyers for the Gear Company, Wellington, has recently said that the Herefords have been the most satisfactory of his purchases made for the company; and in confirmation it may be stated that in tho London markets Hereford beeves are quoted on a par with or a shade below " best Scotch." Here are the November quotations, Islington, London. " The following were the top rates paid per 81b (sinking offal) ior the pick of e&fh description : 9Ofc to 958t best Scotch, ss ; 955 l Herefor Ih, si ; " and so on from Devons down to United States and Canadian at 3a 4d to 39 lQd. We

quote the prices for the purpose of ahowiDg that the beef of Herefords is superior to that of the other sorts ordinarily killed here. Mr Hoi ma has seldom occasion to go outside his gate to sell his Herefords and it cannot be wondered at that he spares no outlay towards the maintenance of the high standard of his herd, the only one of the breed in the province, and a breed which farmers arc just beginning to appreciate the value, for a kindly sire will beget a kindly progeny. How it pays Mr Holms to keep Herefords, and Herefords only, is best attested by the fact that he recently visited the North Island, and bought at long prices two young bulls descended from famous English herds. As the pedigrees give the names of tho breeders of the progenitors of the animals — a particularly instructive departure, it may be observed — we give the lineage of Mr Holms's purchases in full as follows :—: —