ABERDEEN ANGUS CATTLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3831, 16 August 1927, Page 14

ABERDEEN ANGUS CATTLE.

SHIPMENT TO SOUTHLAND. Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co. advise that they recently completed the sale on account of Mr Jas. W. Ellingham, of Bywell, Ormondville, Hawke’s Bay, of a very fine line of Aberdeen Angus cattle to Mr W. D. Hunt, who intends to establish a high class stud herd of this breed on one of his Southland properties.

The cattle selected comprise 23 two and three-year-old heifers. They arc a beautiful quality line, and all conform to the modern requirements of the breed, being low set, thick fleshy cattle of the quick maturing type. The majority of the three-year-olds and four of the two-year-olds are by the great imported sire, Victor of Rarichie, who was imported to New 1 ealand in 1920 at a cost of £BOO. Victor was a good winner in Scotland a a yearling, taking the cup at Perth, and both as a two and a three-year-old proved himself a champion in New Zealand. He has also bred exceptionally well and, in view of the fact that he represents an entirely new line of breeding in New Zealand, his blood has also been greatly sought after by leading studmasters. Victor of Rarichie was bred by Mr D. G. Grant, of Dalvey, Strathspey. Scotland. The majority of the heifers got by this bull are out of daughters of another great imported sire in quality of Maismore. This bull, bred by the noted English breeder, Mr J. J. Cridlan, of Maisemore Park. Gloucester, has been a great winner of championships in Hawke’s Bay. The balance of the three-year-olds are by Nvanga of Bywcll, a son of the imported bull Nyanga, and from the groat Erica strain. This family has been one of the most consistent winning families in New Zealand, among the notable breed champions which has been produced being the Royal Show champion, Olaf of Ben l Lcnuoiid.

Another imported sire represented is Moyness Punch. Mr Hunt thus has m the females he has selected for his foundation herd immediate descendants of three j of the greatest imported bulls brought to | New Zealand of late years. As the uams of practically ail the heifers arc also by such imported sires as Quality of Maismore, Darwin of Claverdon, King of Standen. and the Carlyon bred sires, Cupbearer of Cwavas, Esmond of Cwavas and Royal Duke of Cwavas, Mr Hunt has secured a very choicely bred collection. Jn view of the fact that’many years ago the first importations of Aberdeen Angus made to New Zealand were first introduced by tho land companies of Southland, the present importation back from Hawke s y, to which province the breed spread from the south, is most interesting. Mr Ellingham’s country where these cattle were bred comprises soino of the highest country in southern Hawke’s Bay, and there is every reason to believe that these cattle will quicklv acclimatise to conditions in Southland and do well there The cattle are being railed to Wellington and shipped direct to Bluff in two consignments. No doubt, in duo course, representatives of Mr Hupt’s herd will make their appearance in the. show rings of the South Island.

RECORD CROPPING. OVER. ll;C03 ACRES SOWN BY ONE FARMER. Wheat farming in Western Australia is certainly making gigantic strides, and the rapid increase in yield during the last two years has received considerable publicity. But the magnitude of the progress being made even up to date is rather too great for many to grasp. However, with a yield of the golden grain totalling about 31,000,000 bushels last harvest, with an immediate objective of 50,000,000 bushels (within two more seasons at the outside), and a 100,000.000-bushel objective within 10 years, it goes without saying that our wheat farmers are doing a colossal work. Still, outside the industry itself it is remarkabe how few people in the State have any real conception of the rapid strides being made by individual wheat farmers, and the efforts many of them are. putting into this great national enterprise.

In 1916 MrjF. W. Liebe grew his first wheat crop of a few hundred acres near Wubin, on the VVongan Hills-Mullewa line. Year by year his area of cropping increased, until some two years ago he had approximately s'ooo acres unejer wheat. Conceiving the idea of becoming the biggest wheatgrqwer, not only m Western Australia, but in al] Australia, he then secured over 30,000 acres of the Waddi Waddi Forest, lying between Pcrenjori and Carnamah. and promptly commenced clearing on a colossal scale, some 133 clearers being employed. Sufficient land being cleared, last season saw the area cropped advance to over 7000 acres. That achievement would be sufficient to satisfy most men, and incidentally it would be quite as much as most of them could manage. But Mr Liebe is a man who has a broadness of vision on a pai’ with the magnitude of the State he is doing so much to develop, for after last harvest

he set himself the giant task of securing a world's record in the acreage growing wheat by any farmer. That he is not iosing any time in achieving his ambition is fully reflected in the fact that he now has over 11,000 acres in crop, approximately half each on his Wubin and Waddi properties, most of which he estimates will go 10 bags to the acre if the season continues good, his objective being 100,000 bags. Tho value of such men to the State cannot be over-estimated, and the Sunday Times takes tho opportunity of extending its congratulations to Mr Liebe, with the added wish that he eventually wins the coveted world's championship for Western Australia.