BLUE-GREY CATTLE IN UNKNOWN CANTERBURY MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2631, 17 September 1902, Page 17

BLUE-GREY CATTLE IN UNKNOWN

CANTERBURY MARKETS.

By tee Rev. John Giixespie. LL.D

What are popularly known as "blue-grey" cattle are animals produced by mating a shorthora with a Galloway. That name~is given to them in consequence of their presenting a blue-grey appearance, due to the almost equal mixture of black and white hairs in their coats. The way to secure such uniformity in colour is by mating a white animal with a black one. If a roan or red shorthorn is used the colour of the produce shows great variation, but if a white shorthorn — especially if jt is a member of a family which has been invariably white for generations — is used on the one side and a well-bred Galloway on the other, the blue-grey colour follows in the offspring almost without exception.

Cumberland is the headquarters of the blue-grey cattle. Not only are by far the greatest number bred in that county, but Carlisle is the place where the trade in them is carried on. In May and 'ea*ly in October as many as 2000 head of these splendid beef cattle are sold by auction at the two marts in a sing-le- day. The high estimation of them entertained by graziers is shown by the fact that they realise from £2 to £3 per head more than other classes of cattle of the same weight. Authorities who havo had extensive opportunitiea of seeing large numbers of markets and exhibitions on both sid<*s of the Atlantic have declared that s?o larg" a number of wellbrcd commercial cattle of the best class as is exposed at these =ale 3is not to bo found anywhere else. They are hornless, with excellent symmetrical frames, come early to maturity, and putting their flesh on in the best parts are great favourites with the butchers.

By far the greatest number of the blue greys are fir«t crosses. Sometimes, the male is of the Galloway- breed, and m other cases a shorthorn bull is used. " The prevailing consideration which induces the greater number of breeders to use Galloways on the female, side is the fact that they can be successfully kept on inferior and highlying grazings, where shorthorns would not thrive, and nlso because a Galloway cow can be kept at from £2 to £3 a year cheaper than a representative of the "red, white-, and roan. ' If the question is a°ked by which method of mating the best nidiwdual animal is produced, we could not take th<* responsibility of pronouncing in favour of the one in preference to the othci. It would dpp'Mid on the individual merits o{ the parents more than on anything else. Galloway cattle are not only hardy, but they are t>'Jt dainty feeders, and do well almost anywhere. H^nco the preference for the breed on the female side being composed of Gallcwaya, seeing they constitute by far tl.o largest number. But in no other district is the mode of mating Galloway bulls with shorthorn cows so largely followed, end in many instance the young ctt!© thus produced possess very high individual merit. It should be to marked, however, that inline the bull ia a Galloway the produce ore* almost invarinbly dark grey, and oroti».ion i : ly even black; the offspring seam to tako the.i colour more from the she th.xv ffom ii<o dam.

Where either mo'lo of mating for bli'cgreys is followed, it is, of course, defirabl^ that good animals should be used on both sides, but the most important thing of all is to makr 1 use. of a bull of good lineage ami of the highest individual n'Pvi*. Th" id"?, which not a few at on*» time entertained, that rt is of secondary moment what kind of bull i<- used for crossing purposes, is nowadays all but dispelled, but even yet too many fail to realise that Ftockowncrs should exeicise as much tare in selecting a bull for crossing a? for pure breeding. A male of a somewhat different type may filly be chosen in each ca?e, and in no ease is a first-rate bull mor* desirable than where the cows are not quite up to the mark. A Cumberland teilant farmer upwards of 20 years at»o did much by hif* example in extending tho practice of mating the Galloway bull with shorthorn cows. This was Mr James Little, The Fauld, Longtown, on the Netherby Estate, who ,'used two magnificent Galloways for this purpose. These animaJt carried almost everything before them at the two national and the leading provincial shows. Not a lew critics, were not slow in d^olaring that it was foolish to waste, as they eaid, such spl*ndi<l Galloway bulls for crossing purpo«es. but- the- superlative quality of their produce out of good shorthorn cows showed how ill-fouoded such criticism was. His example hae been followed by many with most satisfactory results. It is questionable if there is any breed of lean commercial cattle in Great Britain which are sold as high a3 per cwt live weight as these blue-greys.- — Live Stock Journal.

Christcburch grain and produce report (Lyt-telt-on Times, 13th inst.) . — The grain and produce markets are stagnant. Hardly a transaction of any kind can bft recorded since last report, and prices .remain as then quoted. The broken weather may to some extent account for this; but at the fame time the fact remains that, with the cessation of exports to Australia, caused by the break-up of the drought, and the inactivity of the South African market, there i<s little export business -doing, and not much local'y. Millers die r.ot particularly anxious to buy, and holders of gcod wheat, having their ewe id.e*a of values, are not desirous of selling