THE FARM.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13583, 26 November 1912, Page 8

THE FARM.

DAIRY SHORTHORNS.

It is fairly safe to assert that could the dairy Shorthorn of a uniformly deep and persistent milking lype bo obtained, it would be the most, popular race ■vf dairy stock in this country. Ths State's importations from Britain have been distinctly unfortunate (writes Mr Grigg in the "Advocate")' as the stock secured had apparently moro of the beef that the dairy type in their make- up. Endeavour now ia being made to provide Shorthorn dairy stock by establishing at Woraroa an experimental farm of a herd of Shorthorn® from stock developed in New South Wales along dairying lines, not the noted Illawarra milking cattle (Shorthorns with"* it is admitted, a dash of Ayrshire in the foundation blood), but a pure strain developed in the Illawarra ■ district. The Weraroa specimens of these are certainly a promising lot and should prove to bo the nucleus of a profitable dairy herd. A fow Lincoln Reds have been imported to Now Zealand, but these members of deep-milking family of the Shorthorn tribe have done nothing ■sensational. Perhaps they have not got into the right hands. Efforts are being made in ji fow instances, notably at Sunnyside Mental Hospital, to establish herds of milking Shorthorns. The laudable work of the progressive- men behind this movement is certainly not being encouraged by the showyard system of judging dairy Shorthorns, if the adjudications at the recent Christcliurch show may be taken as an example. There the prizes were awarded to the distinctly beef types in the class, the palpably better dairy cows being passed over. Of course, in any dual purpose class the awards will reflect the opinion of the judge. If an authority oh beef cattle judges then the animals indicating the- bettor beefing qualities will be decorated, while if the judge is a breeder of dairy stock he will award the prizes to the best dairy types exhibited.

A change is coming over the scene in England. There they are getting away from the dual purpose fetish, and are coming to appreciate the pronounced dairy types of the breed. Doubtless this revolution in opinion is being forced upon the breeders and judges by the increasing demand for dairy stock in Britain, and partly by the sensational boom taking place in Holstein cattle, though here Britain ha® made a bad start in endeavouring to biu'ld up a race of the- great Dutch cattle from three different types of nonpedigree stock. There are nearly two hundreds herds of Hols'tein cattle in England and Scotland, controlled by a flourishing Book Society, but New Zealend breeders are debarred from purchasing stock there owing to no pedigrees being available!

All previous . records for the purebred dairy Shorthorns were surpassed at the recent sa'.o by Messrs. John Thornton and Co. of the famous herd owned by the lato Mr. George Taylor, at Cranford, Middlesex. No fewer than 46 of the cows and heifers were sold at 100 guineas or over, and Sir Gilbert Greenall, who was throughout a keen buyer, created a record by giving 500 guineas for the grand roan cow Waterloo Baroness, aged seven years. The heifer calf from this cowwent to Ireland at 160 guineas. The sum realised by the sale of 187 head was £15,495 18s., an average of £82 17s. each. —"Agricultural Gazette."