A NORTH ISLAND TALK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3111, 29 October 1913, Page 16

A NORTH ISLAND TALK.

{From Odr Own Correspondent.) PALMERSTON N„ October 23. This wonderful year of weather continues to operate over this island. At the time of writing dense rain is falling, and has been falling uninterruptedly for 12 hours past, giving so far about Igin of rain in the Manawatu district during that period. The district can truly bo described now as ‘■quite wet” —a condition which is highly desirable on the threshold of November. A fairly warm temperature has been prevailing, and grass in consequence has responded \yith such readiness that the cows on many farms seem hardly able to cope with it. For several weeks past an alternation oi sunshine and showers has prevailed, and though at times the conditions have been somewhat too moist for the use of arable tools, particularly for- the destruction of weeds, the crops which were safely in during the long, dry opportunity of winter and early spring arc forging ahead phenomenally. I rather think there will be a great number of paddocks shut up for hay this season, and, judging from the present outlook, some of the early paddocks may have to go into silage instead. Personally, I think that will be no disadvantage in a great many cases, and where the full art. of ensilage' is not fully comprehended it. would be time not ill spent to study up the subject in the interim. There will evidently bo ample material for the experiment. WHICH DAIRY BREED’ There has been a bit of a flutter in the hearts of Holstein breeders over an assertion at an Eketahuna dairy factory meeting that Holsteins wore going out of favour. In view of the somewhat frenzied rush for Holsteins which has marked the last two years it would be no detriment to the production of good dairy stock if a little saner moderation should chance to reign for a spell. But any hopes in this direction are badly shattered by that devoted secretary to the Holstein Society, Mr W. M'Kenzie, of my own town. He gives the statements a flat contradiction. ‘‘lt is quite impossible,” he told me this weck (j “for breeders to supply the demand for Holstein cattle—for females in particular.— and I am being continually consulted by dairymen as to the cost of meeting the shortage by importing from the United States and Canada. Still further proof that the Holstein is not waning is'-the fact that the membership of our association during the last 14 months has increased from 120 to 220—nearly doubling. At every dairy sale Holsteins are snapped up eagerly.” Mr M‘Kcnzic showed me figures of the performances of some Holsteins —two heifers of his own and some big doers of a leading breeder, —shewing that after about their second or third calf they can give within a few pounds of 6gal per day. QUANTITY AND TEST. This is very convincing, of course. If we could be sure that every Holstein or its cross would approximate to these figures the breed would be irresistible. But no one can form a fair judgment from picked specimens. What the dairy fanner has to handle is the average example. Many of the “average Holsteins” with which I have come into contact have qualified for that fascinating class which makes you stop milking and feel round for another bucket. But some of them also have shown- terribly low tests. In fact, I think it is generally admitted that the improvement of the tost is the chief work wiiich we look to the stud breeders to take in hand for us. U is not only in the Jersey breed that high tests are to bo found —though we are ;n the habit cf associating Jerseys and butterfat. I have in rny own very small herd two Shorthorns testing over bgal. One of those is a 4gal cow, so that she easily beats a 6gal Holstein testing 3.5. BUYING ON THE TEST.

Wo should get along very much faster in the elimination of unprofitable cows if we could ajways know the test of animals we buy. i,rather despair ,of this ever coming to pass. You can get an assurance easily from a vendor that he had Flossie’s milk tested at, say, 4.5, and he may perhaps show you documentary evidence of this fact. But most tests made unofficially are not worth the paper they are written on. I could take a sample of milk from my 6.5 cow and get a factory manager to testify it to show about 9.0 of fat. It all depends on the sample. It doesn’t take more than an hour for a good showing of cream to settle on the top of a bucket, and a sample of that skimmed would not give a true result. Hence there is a weakness in buying on an alleged test unless that test amounts to a guarantee. But all this diversion is merely intended to emphasise that a Holstein’s value cannot be correctly gauged by the bucketful, and that if the Holstein boom should happen to ease off enough to induce us to use only the very best of 4hem for our herds no harm will thereby be done. IMPORTED SHEEP.

The s.s. Rimutaka landed at Wellington this week the following stud sheep from England : One Southdown ram for the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co. from Mr Walter Langmcad, of Littlehampton, Hampshire Four Southdown ram lambs and five ewe lambs 'for the same company from Mr John Langmcad, of Littlehampton. Two Southdown ewes for the same company from Mr F. Bock, of Sandringham. One Rycland'ram for Messrs W. and ff. Turnbull and Co., Wellington, from Mr W. H. Davies, Dornir.gbon, Herefordshire. One Romney ram and one ewe for Messrs Levin and Co., Wellington, from Mr J. E. Ousted, Chcriton, Kent. One Lincoln ram and one ewe for the same company from Mr E. Ward, Quarrington, Kent. BEEF CATTLE. Three promising Shorthorns from Victoria arrived ny the Ulimaroa last Friday for

Mr R. D. D. M'Lean, of Hawke’s Bay. They comprise a bull and heifer'and a bull calf at foot. The bull is Belinda, Duke of Denmark 320th, considered one of the best sires in Australia. He has won two championships and sired seven or eight first prize bulls and heifers. The heifer is his daughter, Matilda’s Duchess 11, whose calf is by Emperor of Denmark II and is full-brother to a calf which fetched 275 guineas at Sydney Show sales.