NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2849, 21 October 1908, Page 7

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

During the last few months a- considerable amount of newspaper conImcpectiiis trovsrsy has taken place SUd Sheep owing to tha action for Flock Hook adopted by the South IsPurpones. i^d Council ai> the New Zealand Sheep-breeders' Association in deciding to have stud flecks inspected with a view to ensuring a truer standard of type among ttaa longwool breeds of sheep. For some time past it lias been apparent to the council that if tho flocks were to bo. kspt up to the dc6ired standard inspection, with a view to culling a. certain percentage of the breeding ewes, was absolutely necessary. At the- present time New Zealand contains some of tho finest longwoois to bs found in any country, and the South Island council is tc be commended for its efforts to maintain the reputation of This country's purebred flocks. The-N*w Zealand Flock Book, to be of -any real value, must b<» conducted upon proper lines", and when care is exercised in the admission of flocks by careful inspection, on© of the greatest aids to purity and type is attained. It iy well known that eroa. purebred sheep in. careless bands c«n bo so changed in. type that the distinguishing characteristics eff the -breed may Decobao diminished cr entirely lost, and the necessity of stringent measures being taken to ensure that tho owners of flocks making application for entry in the Flock" Book should h»ve_ theii sheep true to type became obvious" to. the council, who had a duty to perform in ~tbg interests of present members of the -Sheep-breeders' Association,^ as well as t'ne^ farming •commnnity generally. Border lisi-cester sheep were the first objected for inspection, and duly-qualified breeds were appointed to visit and examine the various ilocks and • cull out any sheep that they <Hd not consider to b© up to tho mark. ' Sora© of the inspected flcck-ownsrs considered the measures adopted rather too <lrastio, and in objecting to the- methods adopted complained that the proposal was ■an attempt to interfere -with their private business as breeders, and that the inspection cast a slur on their reputation. They further pointed out that the gentlemen appointed to inspect the various flocks were themselves breeder*, while they, the -owners, had to give the control of their •flocks to rivals in the same line of business. Tho answei of the council was that tho . gentlemen appointed to inspect on behalf of the Sheep-breeders' Association were at tho top of the tree as breeders, and abovereproach, so that no valid rasons could be piven for objection. As already stated the Tiorder Leicester flocks applying for admission to the Flock Book have now been inspected and it is understood that the other longwcol breeds will be taken in succession, as circumstances permit. Pro- ' vidod always that the Sheep-brsedors' As j eooiation appoint the best authorities on' the^toepeefive treed* to carry out- these inspections, there can be no doubt that a great deal of good will be done, and all sheep -breeders and others who have tho interests of the longwool breeds of sheep at heart should strongly support this system, with a vjew to giving it a fair trial. It i 3 generally admitted that even young etud breeders who are commencing their business know their best sheep from ■their worst; but can it always be said tb*t thoyare familiar with their worst •beep? which latter are sometimes so wantnfig in character that it would be to tho 1

breeder's best interests to discard them. Tho South Island She^p-breerers' Association has made a etart in the direction of maintaining the purity and distinctive characteristics of Ahe longwool breeds, and the council having such a commendable object jn view the system undoubtedly eeems worthy ot being given a fair trial. So far, from full reports, the inspection has not pressed hard on breeders, as it 28 understood that only nondescripts end sheep not true\to type have been culled cut, and this course appeaj*3 to ba necessary if the FlocJc Book is to be of any real value. There- is no doul^ that an impending inspection of stud flocks tends to keep up to the mark, for by carelessness a good fleck may deteriorate, especially when some breeders will content them selves by using low-priced and inferior Tarns. A special meeting of the South Island portion of the New Zealand Sheepbreeders' Association is called for next month, when the ■\y.hole subject is to bo threshed out. It will then be possible to weigh the objections taken to inspection by a few breeders. As tlis object aimed at by those who favour and those who object to inspection is the same — the maintenance of a high standard and safeguarding the purity of our flocks — it ought to be possible among reasonable men to come to an arrangement satisfactory to both sides.

It has been proved beyond doubt that it is a fallacy to expect a Profitable badly-bred cow, even if sh© Dairying. is supplied with plenty of nutritious food, to prcduca as muoh milk ,and of as rich and profitabla a quality as a cow bred from a gcod milking strain. The necessity of breeding from a sire possessing the milking strains of both, quality and quantity is therefore evident; and dairying can only be expected to pay when carried out on correct lines. Each cow in a dairj herd has a maximum point of production, and unless a cow is nearly at that point she -and her owner are not workinsr together as they shoußl for theii* mutual advantage. If the cow's natural maximum of production is high, it b the owner's fault if the fcod and conditions furnished are not such as to keep her as near that high point as possible. If, on the other hand, her maximum of production is low, then neither feed nor" favom-able conditions will make her a paying proposition, and the sooner she and her owner part company the better. The only satisfactory foundation of tho dairying industry is in possess in<? gcod cows bred from the best milking strains.

A caso involving a legal point in connection with auction sales Liability of has been decided by a Bayers of judge in an English Councy Stock Court. The- judge ruled at Auction. th a t an auctioneer is not responsible for the delivery of stock purchased at an auction sale. Fro n the evidence given in coirrt, it" appears that a farmer bought some ehecp at a sale, but the auctioneer refused to deliver them until the purchase money had been paid. Before th-3 purchase money was forthcoming, one day after the sale, th© sheep disappeared (mention is not made as to* what became of them). The buyer therefore* declined to pay the purchase money for same. The case was taken to court, and the auctioneer sued for the amount for which; the- sheep were sold. In giving his decision, the- judge held that, according to the conditions of sale, the sheep -were the property of the buyer from the time^ the auctioneer's hammer fell, and, therefore, gave judgment for the auctioneer for amount claim-sd, and costs.

Already there are indications that the export of frozen meat from Frozfn Meat Australia to Japan is likely for Japan. to bs r^rmancntly established. Some time ago a Melbourne firm, with an extensive business* connection in Queensland, obtained a contract foj sending boaf from there to Japan. The Queensland Meat Exporting Compaiijis also developing the same market, and recently shipped 300 " carcases ot mutton from Sydney as well as 145 quarters of beef to Jayan. So far the experimental and other shipments made ha^a been from the northern States of the Commonwealth, whcire- advantages prevail, in the way of .'facilities fox cneapsr production and shipping. If the great population of Japan once began to absorb meat on a larg-s sealo the demand -would inevitably affect Australian, and T.2W Zealand producers beneficially.

At the recent agricultural and pastoral ' show held at Adelaida, an Sheep. exhibition of shearing was shearing given by W. Day_, who Bteord. claims the title of being tho champion shearer of the world. Day's record is stated to be 264sheep, shorn in a single working day. B.g wetherd (from Canowie Station), clipping very heavy fleeces, were shorn, and much interest appears to ha\e been taken in the display of shearing. Day i? said to ha\e ehown marvellous rapidity and accuracy I*l his work. This exhibition of sh&aring was carried out unck>r actual working conditions at intenals during the day. (AGRICOI«A. I