NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3861, 13 March 1928, Page 12

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago A. and P. Society,

In connection with the recent committee

meeting of the Otago A. and P. Society a few comments seem to the

writer to be desirable. The society makes progress but slowly. For months now—or is it years?—it has been generally realised that without better railway facilities at Tahuna Park entries in the competitive stock breeding classes are likely to be meagre, and yet nothing is done. No; that is an exaggeration, as the committee decided at its last monthly meeting to make further efforts to obtain a more or less permanent railway connection ere launching out upon any large expenditure. The writer was of the opinion that all the known avenues had been already exploited in endeavours to secure the desired connection and without avail. Who has come to light that can now give the desired guarantee? Then the committee at its meeting failed to decide the question of whether a summer or autumn show should be held, and has apparently shifted the onus of deciding on to the shoulders of members attending the next annual meeting. Surely a committee elected by the members of the society are better circumstanced to decide a question of this nature than those who attend the annual meeting. There is also another matter which the committee shelved, or at least has handed over to the annual meeting or to a conference of kindred societies to discuss, and probably decide, viz., the holding of a one or two days’ summer show. This is a matter which seems peculiarly one which the representatives of stock breeders should decide, and not a mixed meeting or delegates of other societies. It is their concern. It is conceivable that the society might be constrained against its convictions to hold a one-day show in lieu of the present two-day exhibition. The' committee is elected to carry out a policy best fitted to advance agriculture, and. should, in the writer’s opinion, elucidate its own problems, particularly so seeing that the present situation has confronted members for some years.

Dairy Herd Improvement.

Every dairyman must realise that in

considering the principles of breeding for milk production there is very little hope of breeding

high-producing heifers from poor cows or from good cows mated with a bad bull. There is another thing to remember. It is extremely unlikely that good producing cows are put on the open market. A few may come to the sale, but as a rule it is only at a genuine clearing sale, when accredited dairy cows are offered, that any opportunity offers for building up one’s herd. The cows usually offered at the public sales are the culls of a dairyman engaged in herd improvement. The seller as likely as . not has already discovered the quality of the cow. It is not enough for the auctioneer to announce perhaps that “ there is no need to puff these cattle, as we all know the merits of Mr So-and-so’s cows,” etc. It is just what we don’t know. In the eyes of the average auctioneer <all cows are wonderful: dairy cows, but the wise buyer will demand authentic milk records before he.purchases a bull, cow, or heifer of any age. It is essential for good results to insist upon authentic records. Hence* the need of encouraging herdtesting, even at the cost of a few shillings per. head, as at the. final sale (and most of, the cows in an- average herd would be “ moved on ”), the seller would

secure good competition for his surplus—not “ culls,” in the sense that the cows were rejected for faults, but rather because they did not come up to the vendor’s ideal, or-in order to make room for incoming heifers.

Irrigation in Central Otago.

The matter of irrigation in Central Otago has been a topic

of the week, and it is good to learn that the

recent trip through our inland country by Mr J. G. Coates (the Prime Minister), Mr K. S. Williams (Minister of Public Works), and Mr A. D. M'Leod (Minister of Lands) has resulted in, so to speak, a clearing of the air. So much exaggeration of distressful conditions had appeared in a section of the press that taxpayers generally were being stampeded into asking whether the Central was worth development on the lines depicted. Thanks be, however, the Ministers found, after meeting various deputations from men who are working irrigable farm lands, that, generally”speaking, there is satisfaction with most of the water schemes. The shortage of water this season and race faults or breakages have dashed some settlers’ high hopes to the ground,- but there are other settlers who have nothing but praise for their own particular irrigation scheme. The main thing is that the settler should get the water. It is more than hard luck to prepare for a season’s work, and pay a rate for water to be supplied via the Government races, and then get none of the life-saving liquid. No wonder men go “ off the handle." Fortunately, Ministers have seen for themselves the position, and probed the va.ious problems affecting settlers in Central Otago. They have returned well pleased with the conditions, and leave behind them assurances of their confirmed optimism. in the future success of the settlers in the interior. The settlers, on the other hand, have bad clear evidence of the fact that the Government is sympathetic towards all triers occupying irrigable lands, and will not harass them for rates if the circumstances justify restraint. Of course, we all know in Dunedin that the members of the Government party had but to see the Central irrigated lands to be impressed with the potentialities of the country; but the question has become a national” one in view of the. money spent, with more to follow, ft is well, therefore, that the expenditure can be justified, and that the Ministers w-ere delighted with the generally favourable outlook.

Too Many Sheep Crosses.

Dominion sheep owners will not generally agree to the following.

philijjpie regarding sheep breeding, although there

is an element of wisdom in the contention that more graziers might run purebred sheep rather than crossbreds of a nondescript character. They eat no more, and are more interesting, and possibly would yield more characteristic wool and better carcasses than mixed lots. It is recognised, of course, that some sheep owners are always grading up their flocks and yearly improving their sheep up to the purebred standard. Some, however, trust to luck, and are satisfied with a ewe flock which will furnish some wool and lambs irrespective of quality. “ Why is it that so many farmers and graziers prefer' a crossbred to a purebred sheep?” asks an exchange. “ It would be thought that with so many different well-established types to choose from there would be no difficulty in selecting one to suit even the most unique conditions. Indeed, there even appears to be something in the contention that there are too many pure breeds. The widespread practice of crossing one pure breed with another, and 'in some cases of again using a ram of a different type with the progeny, leads to the conclusion that a generally acceptable breed has not yet been evolved. Otherwise it is difficult to understand what is the motive behind the production of all these purebreds, and much more incomprehensible is the recrossing of a sheep of indifferent parentage.” There is little foundation for the belief that a crossbred is more robust in constitution and a generally more profitable sheep than d purebred, save perhaps in the case of the merino. Any of the British breeds of sheep give good lambing percentages and furnish up into satisfactory mutton carcasses. The motive underlying nearly all cases of crosses is to maintain a good meat frame and to add to it a covering of saleable wool. Cross-breeding has been very largely indulged in throughout Australia, and has been responsible for the

formation of two excellent new breeds —- the Corriedale and the Polwarth. The Corriedale aims lo fill the requirements of the enthusiast for half-breeds, and the Polwarth those of the comeback supporter. In both eases merino blood has been largely used, and results have been eminently satisfactory. AGRICOLA.