FASHION PEDIGREES.

Southland Times, Issue 19395, 8 November 1924, Page 12 (Supplement)

FASHION PEDIGREES.

PRICES OF SHORTHORNS. The Banffshire Journal gives some details of prices of Shorthorns which indicate that fashion in pedigrees takes curious turns. Many years ago breeders of' Shorthorn cattle paid high prices for female animals of the Clipper family, but in these days the Clippers have fallen away in prices to a considerable extent. Even the Princess Royals have lost their high estate of eight or ten years ago. At the Uppermill dispersion of nearly

twenty years ago the Claras led in average prices, but a Clara nowadays is in the common rank and file. In pre-war days, or from ten to fifteen years ago, a determined rush was made for possession of Augustas and Rosewoods, but demand for them is not ss it was. At the present time the favourites are female animals of the Duchess of Gloucester, Crocus, and Princess Royal families. But those families Will drop to the fairly ordinary in cash once they become the possession of scores instead of fives and tens. There is this other view that the scarce family ought to be avoided, for it is not unfair to presume that it has come to honour through some poverty in propagating ds order. Last year an offer was made by Colonel Stody, who is an official of the Peruvian Government and who manages the State Farms in Peru, to make a gift of Merino rams and ewes to British farmers, in order to grade up the British wool so that it eould be used for finer cloths than had been the case hitherto. The original arrangements were carried out by Professor Barker, of the textile department of Leeds .University, and Colonel Stody, and later the Ministry for Agriculture took rhe matter up after a conference at Leeds University of all the leading agricultural scientists in England, Scotland and Wales. The Live Stock Journal says that 12 Peruvian rams and eight ewes have arrived in England to be distributed. One ram and eight ewes went to the University College. Readin > to form the nucleus of a purebred Merino flock. It is hoped that this experiment undertaken at the Cambridge Research Station but which was interfered with by the outwill be more successful than that undertaken at the Cambridge Research Station, but which was interfered with by the outbreak of the great war. The latter experiment was carried out with Australian Merinos, some of whom may be seen at the British Empire Exhibition. There is still a flock of purebred Merinos in Herefordshire. Merinos hitherto imported into England have, as a rule, not done well, but this was probably due to the fact that they were too delicate, while the Peruvian animals have been bred under conditions such as will be found in the bleaker part of the North of England, and in Scotland. A grant of £750 has been made to the Edinburgh Research Station in connection with this work.