THE FARM.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13567, 7 November 1912, Page 8

THE FARM.

A REMARK ABLE SALE

The popularity of the bc'srf strain of Shorthorns in tho Argentine has made I the business of breeding a highly fitab'.c one to owners of herds in England and Scotland as well as in the country where tho stock are used for the production of beef for exports. On August 6th, at the La Bclen and Las Barrancas stations of Sir Samuel Jose Cobo, a sal© of Shorthorn bulls was held, at which,some remarkable prices woro secured. Never Jias there been seen such enthusiasm at a sale of pedigree live stock in Argentina as in this case, and overy animal offered was sold, sixty-one bulls making the handsome aggregate of £28,879, or an average of £483 oach. Individual prices broke all records previously obtained in tho Argentine- for Shorthorn cattle. A factor that no doubt operated in the realisation of those prices was the closing of the Argentine ports to British cattle, owing to the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in England and Ireland. It was the 'British-bred ; bulls that -realised the sensational figures. The first bull led into the ring was Bapton Su'nray, a well-grown and fleshy son of Bapton Michief and Sunlight, bred by Mr J. Dean Willis, calved on January let, 1909, aaid imported into the Argentine ovor twelve months ago by Sr. Cobo. The first bid was £800, but £2400 was quickly rescued, and- from this onwards the competition between four persons. At .■t;«ij.OL) Mr Jorge Gordon-Davis, Senor Bernardo Wirsch and Mr Barry (majordomo for M. A. Miertinez de Hoz) were tho only persons bidding. At £4083 Mr Davis 'retired, but tho other two fought on until £4375 was reached, tit which figure tho auctioneer knocked the bull down to Senor Manuel de Martinez de Hoz;, admidst loud and long applause. This figure constitutes a record for Argentina, cither for an imported or locally bred bull and tho "Standard" (Buenos Ayres) says it will be. a- long time before it will be broken. Bidding was again exceptionally keen when Prince Augustus, by Albert Meteor out of Augustus, by Augusta 104 th, came under the hammer. Ho was soon started at £800, and soon £2820 was reached. From this, onward the same gentlemen who .fought out tho finish for Bapton Sunray had the bidding all to themselves. With a bid of £3583 Mr Jorge- Gordon-Davis fell out but Senor Wirsch was not to be denied, and he became the owner at £3833. The next highest price bull was Minmore Lancer, by Lavender Chief out of Lady Carolina 2nd, bred by Mr George Smith Grant, and calved on April 28th, 1909. He went to'Senor Hector Cobo, at £916. Rallineal Red Prince, a short-pedigree bull, but a splendid specimen of the breed, was cheap to Mr Gordon-Davis at £791, while what must be termed one of the bargains of the clay was Rnddington Prince Christian, at £708, bought by that well-known estanciero, Mr Juan Kelly, who also got his moneys worth in Douglas Conqueror, at £500, and Golden Oxford, at £455. Senor Her era Vega had to fight hard to. secure Diamond, a rather nice ■quality red-and-white son of tho grand bull, True Blue, at £720; while tho La Germania Estancias Ltd., got full value for th& money in Bright Vanguard ?,t £500.* These are renuirkaV.e prices, and {.lie English breeders who have' valuable bulls on hand which they cannot Ret rid of, must feel the position

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