NOTES FROM THE OLE LAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3169, 9 December 1914, Page 13

NOTES FROM THE OLE LAND.

CLYDES DALES FOR THE DOMINION GOVERNMENT. FOUR MORE SHIPPED FROM SCOTLAND. GREAT SALE AT LANARK. aN AVERAGE of £192 2s 3d FOR SHORTHORN CALVES. (Fbou Ouh Special Correspondent. \ GLASGOW, October 15. The most bloody conflict the world has ever seen is still raging- on the Continent; but over here in the Oldi Land we are following the even tenor of our ways, confident that our boys at the front, aided by their comrades from the overseas dominions, will see the matter through to a satisfactory issue. In Scotland we have had a very good harvest. There was, no doubt, a shortage of labour, but Providence was kind in sending good weather, leaving plenty of time for the ingathering of the fruits of the earth in the best of condition. The corn has all been secured except in the very latest districts, and even there little remains in the stock now. Potatoes are being got into the pits, and they are a fair crop, with an almost complete absence of disease. Turnips are the most disappointing of our crops. There are considerable blanks in many fields, and very frequently they are stunted in growth. Seme high-clas3 Clyd' sdales are, I learn being bought on behalf of the Govcrmn ,:i of the Dominion of New Zealand; but I have not yet been able to learn the particulars. This, I know, however, that negotiations are proceeding with some of the most noted breeders in Scotland, and that when the whole facts are known it will bo found that an addition of the highest importance will have been made to the breeding stock of the Dominion. Mr Thomas Carruthers, Poplar Grove, Middleward, New ZealaiTd, has acquired four animals of the right stamp for draught purposes. Two of them have been bought from their breeder, Mr Andrew Carruthers, Netherton, Auchinheath. Gibson Girl (36805) is a filly foaled in 1912; not only of exceptional breeding, but a dandy in every respect. She is by the successful brooding stallion Baron Gibson (12152) out of Dari ng of Little Denny (33437), bv the noted Royal Blend (11893), the horse which has been at the head of Mr G orge Clync’s famous stud at Noss, in Caithness-shire, for a number ot years, and the sire of several big weighty geldings which have won distinction at the Shows of the Highland and Agricultural Society. Gibson Girl also traces back to Sir Everard (5353)the sire of the worldfamous Baron’s Pride (9122) and Prince ot Albion (6178), the great Highland and Agricultural Society champion, for which Sir John Gilmour, of Montgrave, Bart., paid £3OOO when ho was a two-year-old. Such blood is bound to tell in a new country. Mr Carruthers also got from Netherton the colt Nether Index (18194), Toaled in 1913He was bred by Mr Andrew Carruthers. and is by the successful stallion Dunure Index (15809), while his dam is Joan of Netherton (32343), by the groat breeding horse Baronson (10951), the sire of the Cawdor Cup champion Oyami (13H K ). Here, again, we have breeding of the right k'nd. Dunure Index is, of course, a sen of the great £9500 horse Baron of Buchlyvie (11263) out ot the grand mare Dunure Ideal, bv 4uchenflower (12007). He is thus a full brother to the champion Dunure Footprint. Baronson has been highly successful as the sire of females, many of his gets being grand breeders and successful prize animals. Nether Index is a colt with lots of size, capital legs and feet, and true, straight movement. Two other colts foaled in 1913 have been bought from Mr Robert Brydon. The I) ne, Sodiam Harbour. One of them. The Dene (18195), bred in the North of England, was got by the well-known stallion Dunure Vintage (15817) out of Lady Jess 115371) by Crown Rights (10182), with grand-dam by Royal George. This is a colt of the upstanding order. with a grand ton squarely sot on the best, of limbs. His bones are flat and flinty, and he is a close, good mover. Tiro other colt was also bred in the North of England. He is named Tourist (18196), and is bv the great prize-horse stallion Silver Chip (11184). which was sold at auction at the geahnrn Harbour dispersion sale for IOOOgs. His dam is ChristabH (36902,). by the grand breeding horse Montrave Matador (13634). This, too. ia a draught horse with lots of weight for his age, deep of his rib, with cap'tal legs and good, wide, open feet. Mr Carruthers has got together a nice lot of young Clydesdales—just the kind which are appreciated

by tho breeders of New Zealand. In his experienced hands they will give a good account of themselves in tho Dominion. There was little sign of depression at the three days’ show and sale of Clydesdale horses which opened at Lanark on Tuesday of this week. An immense crowd of breeders assembled, and whenever anything of quality and breeding entered the ring there was no want of enterprise on the part of those round tho ring. Drafts from some of tho loading studs in the country were included in the sale. The first of these to be exposed was tho stock from the celebrated Montrave Stud of Sir John Gilraour, Bart. It was one of these —the seven-year-old mare Montrave Vanda (32752), by the renowned champion Hiawatha (1067) —which made the highest price of the day-—62sgs paid by Mr M‘Loan, South Medrox, Glenboig. Four mares by Hiawatha made the handsome average of £319 2s 6d. The 14 Clydesdales from Montrave made tho highly satisfactory average of £159 4s 6d. The nine mares averaged £212 18s 4d. One yearling filly made £72 9s, and four fillv foals averaged £6O 2s 3d A draft of four females from the noted Harviestoun Castle Stud of Mr J. Ernest Kerr averaged £122 11s 9d, a two-year-old by Scotland's Favourite (16105) making 155 gs, and a yearling by the same sire 160 gs. From tho stud controlled by the trustees of the late Mr Robert Chapman, Johnston, Gartcosh, four colt foals and a filly foal averaged £69 18s 7d. One of the colts by Baron of Buchlyvse out of Heather Ruby ‘ (26194) made lOOgs, the purchaser being Mr George A. Ferguson, Surradale, Elgin. Mr William Brown, Craigton, Bishopton, bought tho filly foal by Apukwa (14267) out of Heather Pearl for 105 gs. Mr James Westwood, Dalrooch, Dunning, had an average of £44 17s 9d for three yearling fillies and one colt foal. Other lots sold equally well. The result of the day s sale was as follows ; _

The average for the first day of the sale last year was £sl 3s. On Wednesday a lot of young stock, as well as some brood mares, were disposed of. Prices again ruled high, but the buyers did not always follow the judges in their selections. In the case of yearling fillies, the animal placed fourth at the show which preceded the sale —a get of Dunure James made £7l: the third prize one, by Silverwood, realised £6l; the second prize one, by Scotland Yet, £SB; and the first prize one, by Magician, £sl. The first prize brood mare —the six-year-old Matchless of Lowfield, by Prince Marmion —was sold for £IOO, the only three figure price in the class. Filly foals sold ud to £9O, this price being given for one by Scotland’s Favourite (16808). The best of the colt foals made £l3O, this price being given for a son of the champion The Dunure (16839). T.he summarv of the day’s sale was as follows:

813 head £33 5 6 £32 8 6 On the third day of the sale two-year-old and three-year-old fillies and geldings were disposed of. A distinct innovation was tho election of a lady—Mrs Scott, Mersington, Greenlaw —as one of the judges. Again there was an active demand for animals of all classes. The first prize two-year-old gelding (he was second at the Highland Show at Hawick) was bought by Mr R. Brydon, The Done, Seaham Harbour, for £77. The best of the two-year-old fillies was a daughter of Scotland Jet, and she went over the border for £l5O. The second prize one, by Sir Dighton, made £lO5. The three-year-old fillies w'ere led by a get of Baron of Buchlyvie, and she made £l7O. A capital trade was experienced for two-year-old fillies, and although a considerable number more were sold tlian last year, they increased the average. The summary of the day’s sale was Ji.s follows !

459 head £45 10 2 £42 3 10 The autumn sales of pedigree Shorthorn cattle, conducted by Macdonald, Fraser, and Co. (Ltd.), Perth, have passed off with as much success as could reasonably be expected under the prevailing conditions. One of the great events of the year in the Shorthorn world is the combined sale of drafts from the herds of Mr William Duthio, of Collynic; Mr John Marr, Uppermill; and Mr J. Duthic Webster. Tarves, a nephew of Mr William Duthie. The splendid success attained by Mr Duthio in following the line of breeding adopted by the brothers Anthony and Amos Cruickshank, of Sittyton, has earned for his cattle a reputation which is world-wide, and the prices which arc obtained for his bull rives at this annual sale have reached highly extravagant figures. With the war cloud hanging over the country, there was not the same animation at the Collynie-Upper-mill sale as I have seen on some former occasions. Englishmen wore not so prominent as usual, and the South American element was by no means aggressive. The result of this was that the averages showed a considerable drop; but all wore agreed that the outcome of the day’s business was as good as could bo expected under the circumstances. The 29 bull calves disposed of by Mr Duthic made the handsome average of £192 2s 3d, as compared with £263 6s for 26 last year, and £377 8s 7d for 24 in 1912, when the top price was £2IOO. In 1911 the average was £243 10s 7d, and in 1910 18 averaged £378 8s 2d. when the top figure was £llO2 10s. The. greatest average of the whole of these sales was in 1907; when 17 bull calves made £409 16s 7d each, the top price being £B7l 10s. These are remarkable figures, and the average obtained on this occasion would bo considered excessive some dozen , years ago. It may be ot interest if I indicate the pos : tions taken in the sale by Mr Duthie’s stock bulls. This year again the home-bred Knight of Colly' nie loads easily, 13 bull calves by him malting the handsome average of £244 5s each. The top figure for one of his calves, which also the highest price of the sale, was

£sogs, given by tho Prince of Wales for Collynie Red Knight out of a Butterfly dam, and tracing back to Champion of England (175261, one of tho bulls which approached nearest to the ideal of the brothers Cruickshank as a Shorthorn sire. Another of his gets, Collynie Prince Regent, out ct a Princess Royal dam, made 450 gs, and a third, Collynie Coronet, out of Collynie Josephine HI, by the splendid breeding bull Adbolton Regal King (107586), realised 400 gs. At the Perth spring sales of 1913 Mr Duthie bought from the Earl of Rosebery the bull Lothian Augustus, which was fourth in his class at the show on tho same day, but which made by far the highest price—namely, 14 J 00gs. But Mr Duthio knew what ho was doing. This is the first occasion, of course, on which the calves of Lothian Augustus have come before the public, and six bulls by him made the fine average of £195 6s. One of them, Broadhooks Diamond, made the second highest price of the sale, Mr Matthew Marshall, tho noted Clydesdale breeder, taking him out at 580 gs. Another, the red roan Larboard, was bought by Lord Rosebery at 320 gs. Of tho other sires whose stock were exposed, two by Max of Cluny averaged £2lO each, four by Regal Crown averaged £lO9 9s 2d each, and a single bull calf by Diamond Capta’n made £l7B 10s. Ton Imifcr calves from Mr Duthie’s herd made an average of £B3 13s Bd, the highest price being 150 gs for Royal Jilt, by Max of Cluny. while the red Gloden Fancy, by Lothian Augustus, made lOgs less. The 14 bull calves sold by Mr J. Duthie Webster made an average of £3B 17s. Mr John Marr, Uppcrmill, disposed of 23 bull calves, and obtained fair prices, tho average being £4l 18s 2d as compared with £S4 15s for 14 in 1913. Tho heifer calves from the same herd numbered 13, and the average for these was £36 6s 2d. Only in one case did Mr Marr secure a three-figure price for a bull, lOOgs being given for Lancaster Crown by Mr Dc Burgh Pcrsso, Brisbane, Queensland. That gentleman also bought from the Uppermill lot of bulls Manfred, a red by Royal Leader, for 60gs; Prince Butterfly, another red by the same sire for 30gs; and Scottish Flag, a red roan by Prince Palatine, for 45gs. From Mr Duthie Webster’s lot he had a beautiful bull calf, Royal Augustine, a roan by the Dal-meny-bred 1400-guinea Lothian Augustus, for 50gs. On the following day Messrs Macdonald, Fraser, and Co. (Ltd.), Perth, held a sale of drafts from various herds throughout the country. Tho best price was 210 gs given for an Orange Blossom heifer, and the average for 208 head was £4l 2s 5d each as against £42 12s 4d for 249 head last year. This was regarded as a highly satisfactory result at the present time. On October 8 drafts were sold at Mains of Sanquhar, .Forres, from the herds owned by the Messrs Law. Fifteen cows and three calves made an average of £6O 8s 2d; 19 two-year-old heifers averaged £Bl 16s lOd; and 25 yearling heifers made an average_ of £6l 19s. Tlie best price was 320 gs given for the two-year-old heifer Zoe XVII, champion at Aberdeen and Elgin this year. On the following day the Shorthorn herd of Mr George Shepherd was dispersed at Shethin, Tarves, Aberdeenshire. There were comparatively few specimens of the more highly popular families, and the prices did not range high. The best figure was 55gs, and the average for 66 head was £22 2s, which, from a commercial point of view, may be regarded as quite satisfactory. All things considered, it will be perfectly apparent that there is abundance of _ life in the Shorthorn cattle trade of Britain even under tho most depressing conditions. The annual joint sale of Aberdeen-Angus cattle was held at Aberdeen on Wednesday of this w r eek. The drafts were drawn from herds all over the country, the catalogue containing some 254 entries. The sale was well attended, and although at times tho demand was not so brisk as could be desired, the result of the day’s business cannot be regarded as other than satisfactory under the existing conditions. Ericas, Prides, and tho other more fashionable families were, of course, in most demand, and fair prices were forthcoming for them, although none of the figures was what may be regarded as high. The Ballindallocn average for 16 was £4O 8s 6d, seven from Aborlour made £26 14s each, 22 from Bywell averaged £25 10s, 18 from Skillymarno £24 5s lid, and 12 from The Burn £22 6s 2d. The sum of £4621 Is was realised for the 207 head sold, or an average of £22 6s 6d each.

Average. Total. £ s. d. £ •3. d. 45 Pedigree Clydesdales 97 14 5 4397 8 0 59 Clydesdale mares .. 50 6 4 2971 0 0 66 Clvdesclale geldings 54 2 8 3573 0 0 23 Geldings, for sale only 23 19 0 550 10 0 21 Mares, for sale only 28 17 0 605 10 0 26 Light-legged horses 33 0 6 1014 10 0 240 head £54 12 8 £13,111 18 0

Average, Average, 1914. 1913. £ s. d. £ s. d. 33 Brood mares . .. 56 11 6 46 7 1 59 Yearling Allies . . .. 37 15 7 38 9 3 45 Yearling colts and geldings • .. . . .. 31 8 0 29 12 9 68 Filly foals .. .. .. 32 IB 4 83 4 5 108 Colt foals .. . .. 24 11 2 25 16 8

was as loiiows: — Average. Average, 1914. 1913, £ s. d. £ e. d. 181 Two and three-year-old fillies 47 12 9 46 7 6 278 Two-year-old geldings 44 2 4 39 11 1