STYLE AND BREEDING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 858, 9 November 1916, Page 2

STYLE AND BREEDING.

COMMERCIAL REQUIREMENTS. Very frequently in show and sale reports we have animals described as ''stylish'' (says an Australian writer). Taking tl.e dictionary meaning of the word, I find it is: "being in fashionable form, or in high style; showy." The latter words sum up briefly the meaning of the term as applied to our domestic animals, bur it also opens up the very wide question whether certain modern breeders fire not sacrificing what is real genuine merit, from a commercial standpoint, in order to please what may be termed the artistic tastes of present-day judges. Here I may lie allowed to say that T fully appreciate the significance of the term, and am in entire sympathy with the adage that "blood will tell."' Take it as you will, eitlui in the human or right down through the whole animal kingdom, it, is invariably true to the letter. We have grown accustomed to the ap-

pudiation of thoroughbred being applied to the blood horse, and here, again, 1 wotdd ask: Is the man living who has had the opportunity of seeing a number of these gallant animals lined up ready for the fray in a great race who could

look on the sight without being impressed with the fact that in their supple movements and stylish carriage there was some attribute predominant similar to what in the human we would call

personality, an atmosphere of power j which amply justifies their being designated the th iroughbred of their species j To centime on a declining scale, from a monetary point, of view we can take the Shorthorn bull next in rotation, and here once again ,?e find blood showing. In the early days of Shorthorn breeding—the time of the great bull Comet, for insi a nee —we have only sketches, mostly exa gerated, to judge from, but later on, in he early years of the "Dukes," we have the truthful delineation of the camera to guide us, and as I write I have before me an excellent photograph of the Duke of Connaught, the bull which brought 4500 guineas at the Dunmore sale in 1874. The photo shows an animal of outstanding style and nobility. In colour, a rich roan, lines above and below, symmetrical; masculine head and eye, -which of themselves would proclaim him an aristocrat. Even in the photo you can easily see that he had the nice soft "touch" of the "thriver," and here sure enough there was no sacrifice of commercial points iu favour of style. But cau the same be said of our prizewinners of to-day 3 1 have no pretensions to be looked on as an expert in this particular class of live stock, but am merely giving video to verbal

find other criticisms which have been brought under my person;) 1 notice.

To continue, however, in the declining; scale through equine, bovine, to the ovine species, here we have abundant room for criticism, more 'especially in the breed which I have always been inclined to regard as the thoroughbred of the species—the Border Leicester. In early maturing qualities, find in these days when the doctrine of intensive farming is being so widely urged, early maturity is one of the essentials to profitable stock raising, there is no breed of sheep can bear comparison with the Border Leicester, but are leading breeders at Home not sacrificing this and other desirable attributes of considerable commercial value to pander to the modern taste for style? I'h a certain degree this is admittedly so. We want wool and mutton, and it' the animal carrying a maximum of both is what is known on the Borders as a "gay"' sheep all the better, but with all respect to these past-masters in the breeder's art, when it comes to filling the bale, and selling lambs at so much per pound "all sunk," '-gaiety" does not count. We want something to pull down the beam. Speaking generally, I have always looked on a good Cheviot sheep as the most perfect, animal of the speciesstylish, active, even in fleece, low-ieg-ged, meat to the hocks, and tine in the bone. Taking these with the small ears, big, full eyes, and the bonny milk-white face, showing in contrast to the black nose, we have a combination of commercial merit and physical beauty winch appeals alike to the artist and utilitarian..

Coming back to the heading, "blood will tell," "pedigree counts," "like begets like" are axioms which no breeder can afford to ignore, but at the same time we must always keep in mind that a wellbred weed is just the very worst sort of a weed, because he has 'the power to stamp his progeny with his own defects, and that, too, possibly much accentuated. We want style by all means, but of itself it is not a marketable commodity, and we cannot afford to barter substance for a shadow.