Stud Cattle Breeders' Page.

Southland Times, Issue 20771, 11 May 1929, Page 15

Stud Cattle Breeders' Page.

ADVICE TO JERSEY BREEDERS!

"A FARMER’S BREED*

ROYAL SHOW VENUE QUESTION OF CENTRALIZATION. COUNCIL SUGGESTS WELLINGTON. THE AUCKLAND VIEWPOINT. Statements from Wellington that the Council of the Royal Agricultural Society has under consideration a proposal to centralize its activities there and to hold all Royal Shows there provided convenient facilities can be arranged, will be received with general misgiving throughout the country, comments the Auckland Weekly News editorially. If an actual decision in this direction were not a breach of the Royal Charter issued five years ago, it certainly would represent an unwelcome divergence in policy from that with which the society wooed support in its incipient days.

A peripatetic annual fixture at centres which had already achieved provincial distinction for their agricultural and pastoral displays was undoubtedly the basis on which most of the support was offered the Royal Society at first and any decision against this principle now would be universally unpopular. It is true that advocates have; always been ready to argue centralization at alternately Palmerston North in the North Island and Christchurch in the South, but opposition of no uncertain calibre has been offered even this proposal. How the Royal Society hopes to popularize Wellington, of all places, then, as a centralized venue is not at all clear. Even supposing both ends of the Dominion were agreed on the desirability of centralization, it is not at all certain that associations in these parts would be content to see all the benefits accruing from a Royal Show showered on a centre which in the past has taken such a phlegmatic interest in live-stock exhibitions. Such an action would alienate sympathy over a very wide area, I not because of narrow parochialism, • but j because of a natural feeling that unfair advantages were being undeservedly bestowed. Those associations that have won their way to eminence in the- agricultural and pastoral world have a legitimate claim to consideration in the matter of Royal Show favours and to disregard it is to ignore the ideal of national and equal benefit which is the cardinal principle underlying the royal constitution. The desire of the Royal Society council for a central venue is undoubtedly inspired by very worthy motives. The council is doubtless keenly anxious to set its finances on a more solid footing than heretofore, and thus entrench itself more surely in the agricultural and pastoral structure of the country. The aspiration is one which will command the sympathy of all enthusiasts in the primary cause, but because they cherish this especial enthusiasm these people cannot but question the wisdom and foresight of the council in bringing forward its present proposal. A Southern paper has made the dispassionate statement that by centralizing its activities at Wellington the Society’s troubles would soon be over, for the Society would simply cease to exist. This perhaps is taking too pessimistic a view but as a sequel, of centralization it is much more probable than is increased popularity and prosperity.

Geographical considerations have always been the basis of arguments in favour of a fixed venue for the Royal Show, the contention being that breeders are averse to sending their stock, and especially their best animals, on long and arduous journeys, Royal Show honours notwithstanding. The witness of the fixtures to date niore than confirms this view. In the final analysis, however, the fact actually provides one of the strongest arguments against centralization in that centralization would mean permanent disadvantages to most parts of the Dominion, whereas with a movable fixture the disabilities would be only periodic and all portions of the country would benefit alike. A fixed venue would do nothing to alleviate the inconveniences attaching to present transport problems and since the only effect would be to'permanently penalize exhibitors at a distance it would not be long before the show conducted under the Royal Charter deteriorated into nothing more than an event of doubtful provincial interest, a result as farcical as it would be distasteful, especially when it is considered what a [lower for vast good the fixture can be under less parochial limits.

One fact that will always have to be faced as far as the New Zealand Royal Show is concerned is that no matter where it is held a certain degree of inconvenience :to breeders is inevitable. Geographical causes are unfortunately ineradicable, but if the show is to be the power it should be they must be faced in the light of reducing the difficulties they present as equallj’ as possible to all parts of the country. A peripatetic fixture is the only means of placing all the Dominion's breeders on an equitable footing in this respect and consequently is the only means by which the Royal 1 ' Society can completely achieve its destiny as the instrument of live-stock improvement | in New Zealand. A Wellington Royal Show, if, indeed such a fixture could survive, could not hope to accomplish anything like the national benefits that would attach to a popular movable event, and any deliberations in which the Royal Society council is engaged should take full cognisance of this important fact.

UTILITY AND ROMANCE

HEIFER AS WEDDING GIFT. Utility is claimed for the Red Poll, but there is one member of the breed that has added to this qualify the distinction of romance. When Viscount Dunwich was married recently there were two presents that were not on view in London, says the Farmer and Stockbreeder. One was a motor car and the other was a Red Poll heifer, both acceptable gifts, symbols of an age when it is fashionable to be practical on such occasions. The donor of the heifer was Mr J. B. Dimmock, of Shotford Hall, Harleston, and the happy thought came to him as a result of long knowledge of the bridegroom’s family. Mr Dimmock’s father was a tenant lof the late Lord Stradbroke, father of the present Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, whose son Lord Dunwich is. In 1918, when Lord Stradbroke was abroad on military duties, his son spent a vacation at Shotford Hall, and it was recollections of those days that prompted the gift.' . The heifer is Star Duchess 227th, and she comes from an excellent milking family. Will she be used in founding a herd at Dennington, where, it .is- understood, Viscount Dunwich is to reside? This district of High Suffolk is rich in cattle lore; two centuries or more ago it was famed for its cattle, the Suffolk duns from which, by way of crossing with Norfolk cattle, the Red Poll, the dual-purpose breed, as we know it, has emerged.

In 1924 there were 14,553 milking plants at work in New Zealand; in 1928 the number had increased to 18,049. In 1924 the number of cream separators in use was 42,473; in 1928 there were 45,246. These figures go to show that New Zealand dairy fanners use machinery to a greater extent than farmers in any other country.

RED POLL SUCCESSES

CANADIAN DAIRY COMPETITION.

The awards in this contest were made by the following scale: 25 points for each pound of fat, 3 points for each pound of solids (not fat), 1 point for each 10 days in milk after the first 30 days, limit 10 points.

The total weight of milk of the Red Poll cow which was first, was 101.51 b, butter-fat 3.11 b, and solids (not fat) 9.9; total points 105.6. The second prize cow, a Friesian, gave 117.41 b of milk, 2.91 b butter-fat, solids (not fat) 10.2, her total points being 107.3 The third cow, a Jersey, yielded 87.61 b of milk, 3.11 b of butter-fat, solids (not fat) 8.4; her total points were 104.7. The other, a Friesian, which was'fourth, yielded 117.21 b milk, 2.61 b butter-fat, solids (not fat), 10.1; total points being 97.8. ADVICE TO JERSEY BREEDERS POINTS DENOTING QUALITY. An instructive address to Jersey breeders was given at Matamata recently by Mr E. Griffiths, the noted Jersey breeder, of New Plymouth, states the Thames correspondent of the Weekly News. Mr Griffiths explained that every dairy cow showed its capacity for milking in its external form. This capacity he divided into five sections, which were essential for a good producer: (1) Constitution, (2) capacity, (3) blood circulation, (4) nervous temperament, (5) ability. In judging these points the tyro was advised to stand off from a cow to first of all obtain a good idea of its constitution, and general appearance. A start should be made at its head, noticing the eye, nostrils and forehead, then continuing along the back for its vertebrae and tail, and finally the skin and udder.

Constitution was judged by the roof for the heart and lungs behind the shoulders. The nostrils should be wide and round, the thorax should be deep and wide and the eye bright. Actual size in an animal had nothing to do with constitution as a large beast often died under adverse conditions where a smaller one would pull through. Capacity meant ability to feed rapidly, to store and to digest the food. The first essential was a broad muzzle covering a broad jaw, which could secure a broad bite. Mastication followed and so, a deep, rounded jaw was necessary. For storage capacity there should be plenty of length from shoulder to hipbone, as well as width and depth. Wide hijis and loins also assisted in giving storage capacity.

A knowledge of how the digestive organs did their work was gained by examining the skin, which was always soft and pliable when digestion was good. Nervous temperament was indicated by a bright eye, broad forehead and plenty of length to the [x>ll so as to give room for the brain. The backbone should be fine and not coarse. There should be fine bone all round, including the tail, and small hipbones. The escutcheon should be wide, and the udder well covered, but. the better indication was the tortuous milk veins underneath the body. Ability covered a cow’s capacity' to turn food into milk and was evidenced by the size, form and texture of the udder, which should be long and wide. This was the best form of udder, and to carry this.satisfactorily the thighs should be well set on the four corners and not too short. The frame from the hipbone to the pinbone was a good guide in this connection and should show length and width.

A tilted udder was generally caused through a cow having a droopy back or what was known as goose rump. The udder should be soft and silky and the teats wide apart. From a general point of view a cow should have a uniform appearance and should walk well with head kept well up. A sloping shoulder assisted in this latter respect.

Dairying, stated Mr Griffiths, was just like any industrial proposition because a man went irito it to make as much out of it as he could. Therefore it was essential that he should milk cows which give profits. If one cow out of 20 did not show a profit then the fanner was losing 5 per cent. It was essential that he milked the best possible cows by' the best machinery, which should be looked after carefullv.

THE BREED AT HOME.

HIGH REGISTRATION STANDARD. An interesting reference to the manner in which the Jersey breed was kept at such a high production state was given by Mr E. Griffiths, of New Plymouth, at the demonstration to Matamata farmers last week. He stated that some people wondered how the Island of Jersey could keep on breeding the best cattle in the world, when the world kept buying their best. This would be easily understood when he explained that in one year there were about 2500 heifer calves and the same number of bulls, for which registration was applied. It was the custom that preliminary registration for entry in the stud book should be made within 24 hours.

When these animals were 12 months old they came before a committee for inspection, with their mothers, for examination. Out of 2500 bulls only 160 were kept on the register, and of these only 75 finally entered in the herd book. The others went to the butchers. When they were so careful in their methods of inspection it was easy to understand how they had been so successful.

A report prepared by Mr P. J. Hoffmann, secretary of the Canadian Red Poll Association on the results of the. Dairy Competition held during the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba, at Brandon, embody the official figures furnished by the secretarymanager of the exhibition to Mr Wilmott McComb, Hayfield, Manitoba, whose Red Poll cow, 5517 Chimewood Florence, secured the highest award. This remarkable achievement. is particularly noteworthy, says the Red Poll Journal, for various reasons:— l_B ecause both competing Friesian cows showed a very low per cent, butter-fat test. . , 2— Because all competing cows, except the last Friesian, freshened earlier than the Red Poll, therefore from a standpoint of past experience in testing, should have tested higher in comparison with the Red Poll. 3— Because the usually much-heralded characteristic of high testing, Jerseys in this contest only exceeded the Red Poll by i per cent. 4— Because both Mr W. Norbury, of McAulay, Man., who supplied the Jersey, and Mr W. J. L. Hepburn, of Verdan, Man., who supplied the second prize Friesian, are noted breeders, and doing R.O.P. testing, and very likely entered their best cows; so there could be no guess work there. 5 — Because this contest demonstrated the Red Poll cow’s ability at the pail, holding her own in the happy-medium class, against the highly specialized dairy cows. 6— Because, last, but not least, Mr McComb never yet tested any of his cows in the R.0.P., although a strong supporter of R.O.P. work, yet this cow, entered in this contest, emerged with highest honours.

AUSTRALIAN. STUD SHEEP BAN ON EXPORT OPPOSED. Delegates attending the conference of the Graziers’ Association of New South Wales recently rejected by 51 to 42 votes a resolution asking the Federal Government to prohibit the export of stud sheep from Australia. Mr T. A. Field, Stock-owners’ Defence Association, said that the vigour of the South African competition in Merino wool constituted a menace to Australia. There were now 40,000,000 Merino sheep in South Africa, producing wool worth about £3,000,000 annually. Within the last two years the natural increase in sheep in South Africa was about 12,000,000 and she was producing wool equal to anything in Australia. They should ask the Commonwealth Government to prohibit the export of Merino breeding sheep—not stud sheep. The prohibition would not interfere with trade in other channels.

Mr G. Warby (Queensland), who recently visited South Africa, said that the wool produced there compared favourably with Australian wool. It was necessary if the South African flocks were to be maintained , that they should have an infusion of Australian blood, so the future of that country’s wool industry depended upon Australia. During his visit to the Union he inspected a flock of 5000 wethers, which would cut at least 121 b of bright, clean wool. This flock was being tended by a white man and his wife and family, and he was paid 50/- a month, and had to “find” himself. The Australian market for wool, he considered, was down 3d to-day because of South African production. The country had done in ten years what it had taken Australia 50 years to do with Merinos. Mr F. B. S. Falkiner (Sheepbreeders’ Association) said that as a result of a visit to South Africa he was convinced that the sheep industry there was not so successful as had been represented. The pastoral country he saw there was the worst he had ever seen, except, perhaps, that in the farwestern district of New South Wales. If South Africa could not get sheep in Australia she would obtain them from other countries. If they wanted to prevent sheep being exported to South Africa they should outbid the oversea buyers. Mr E. T. Body (Sheepbreeders’ Association) said that the proposed prohibition would only encourage America and other countries which grew fine wool to export stud sheep to South Africa, The Merino did not govern the wool position, and it would be unwise to shut the door to other countries. Such action would only punish the industry in Australia. Colonel E. E. Martin said it was absurd to talk of restricting 'trade within the Empire.

“A FARMER’S” BREED TRIBUTE TO RED POLLS. Members of the Red Poll Cattle Society who assembled for the annual meeting, held in the Council Chambers of the British Dairy Farmers’ Association in London recently, under the chairmanship of Lord Cranworth, were greatly impressed with the tribute the breed received from the new president, Lord Bledisloe. The burden of his remarks was contained in his pronouncement, the outcome of investigations and a considerable personal experience, 7.1 hat Red Poll cattle were permanently a farmer’s breed. The annual report presented by Lord Cranworth dealt with an increase in membership, record entries for the Herd Book, a greatly improved overseas trade, excellent displays of the breed at all shows, a profit of £327 on the past year's working, and increased demand, for bulls for cross breeding.

Lord Cranworth, in moving the adoption of the report, said the enterprising move on the part of the council in adopting a special sale regulation to avoid the risk of contagious abortion had been appreciated and had given increased confidence to buyers. He suggested that this was reflected in the better trade at the society’s sales.

Lord Cranworth also drew attention to the great importance of official butter-fat testing which was of equal importance to milk recording. As some members felt that for a dual-purpose breed too much attention had been given to milk production, he felt bound to say there was a danger in the craving for too high records, which might mean their losing some of their constitution.

Lord Bledisloe, in accepting the position of president, said he recognized that the Red Poll breed, while being a purely local one forty years ago, was now undeniably national and international in importance. Although the Red Poll was permanently an East Anglian iJreed, it was also permanently a farmer’s breed. Being a student of agricultural affairs, both in this country and abroad, he could say no breed was going to carry conviction in the long run and make profits Unless it could be justified from a farmer’s standpoint. It was on that ground that he ventured to say there was a much bigger future for the Red Poll breed. He realised there were great prospects of the Red Poll breed improving the cattle of other countries, notably, in Canada and South America. He was fairly well acquainted with those countries, _and particularly Canada. After all they had in the Red Poll a hardy, thrifty, and non-pam. pered animal, which had some value for the butcher, even after it had been milk producing for a very long period.

FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE

SOURCES OF INFECTION. MINIMIZING THE RISK. The virus appears to retain its vitality for very considerable lengths of time in nature, and owing to this fact the disease is spread by a host of intermediate objects which have been in contact with affected animals, says Mr W. C. Millar in an article on foot-and-mouth disease in “A Veterinary Dictionary.” The following is not an exhaustive list of those objects, but it gives the more important Hides, hair, wool, hay, straw, sacks and packing fabrics generally, milk and milk products, farmyard manure, watering troughs, mangers, various utensils, market pens, railway trucks, drovers and cattlemen, and personal belongings, small animals and vermin (especially cats and dogs, hares and rabbits, rats, mice and birds). In a letter dated March 5, to Mr J. P. Kalaugher, 'secretary of the New Zealand Dairy Breeds Federation, Mr Miller makes the following statement with regard to rabbits: “Regarding the subject of the remainder of your letter, I think perhaps a word of explanation, more full than that which is given in the Dictionary, is necessary regarding the role of rabbits among other small animals in the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. of the Rabbit. • “The remarks really apply to the rabbit as a denizen of the fields, rather than to it as a pet or fancier’s animal. It is chiefly

a menace when and where it exists in a field belonging to an owner whose cattle are effected by foot-and-mouth disease, and, becoming infected about the feet and legs by contact with saliva-covered herbage, it passes through a boundary hedge or fence into the land of a neighbouring owner of healthy cattle. The rabbit itself does not suffer from an attack of the disease except (I believe) after experimental injection of virus into the pads of the feet or into the gums, but it may carry virus for comparatively short distances and infect herbage elsewhere, which may lead to a new outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the vicinity. “Regarding the possibility of the imported Angora rabbit acting as a menace

to the cattle in New Zealand, I am of the opinion that it is not so much the rabbit itself which is to be feared, as the bedding material, litter, food, etc., which accompanies it. Little Risk From Importations. "If, as is the custom in some countries, the rabbits are removed from their boxes at the port of disembarkation, and all litter and unused foodstuffs are destroyed by burning and the. box disinfected—preferably by singeing with a painter’s blow-lamp, which can be done effectively and rapidly—and the rabbit is given fresh locally-produc-ed litter and food, I do not think there would be any risk of introducing the disease among New Zealand cattle. .

“It would, of course, be advisable that each imported rabbit be scrutinized carefully by a veterinary inspector at the port of entry, and any which is not absolutely healthy should be detained in quarantine or destroyed, but I have no doubt that such a system of examination is already in existence. A further precaution might be that each consignment be accompanied by an official certificate of health stating specifically that the rabbits have not come from an area where foot-and-mouth disease is known to exist at the time of despatch.”