FARM & DAIRY

Taranaki Daily News, 29 December 1923, Page 15

FARM & DAIRY

IMPROVING THE DOMINION’S STOCK THE BEST BREED. AMONG THE DAIRY CATTLE. (By “Advance.”) The article last week dealt with three types of Shorthorns —the early maturing kind, the dual 'purpose and the special purpose types. Some people will argue that there is no such thing as a dual purpose animal. That is not correct. There are dual purpose animals all right, but these animals are not, as admirers love to assert, capable of giving both a maximum of milk and a maximum of beef. They give a fair production of both, and that is no use in a country whose welfare depends on its exports. We must specialise and get the maximum of either from the one animal. The dairy cow must milk and not put on flesh while engaged in such work. If she does she is robbing her owner, and on our high-priced land he needs all of the profits he can get. It does not pay to keep any but the special dairy type of cow in a dairy herd, for the herd-testing associations are constantly proving that the large dual purpose old style of heavy hipped cows are duds. They fail mostly as stayers. Semi-official testing and herd-testing has changed the type in Shorthorns, and North Island breeders have for a lengthy period, and South Islanders are now following them, bred a special purpose type of milking Shorthorn.

THE ENGLISH TYPE. Just as testing has changed the type here so the popular milk-recording societies in England are working a change | there. Listen to this from a great Eng- j lish authority, who reprimands the sec- I ret ary of the English Red Polled Society ! for his statement made in criticising the I win of $n Ayrshire cow at the London j dary show that Ayrshire cattle could ! not be said to be as useful to the aver- j age farmer as are heavier fleshed ani- ■ mals:—"Mr. Clarke does not seem to j know that many farmers concentrate ’ on milk selling and do not desire to i raise steers for beef, as milk pays better ; than beef, for the food consumed in ! making beef is not utilised in making i milk. The question s not so much the j old and still unsettled problem of the i single or dual purpose, as the dignity of ' our breed societies, and the el6se cooperation of all agriculturalists. Mr. Clarke, as the excellent official representative of a breed, could better employ his facile pen than in belittling or criticising another breed, especially when such breed has beaten his in open competition. During the last few years he has been a frequent and not impartial critic of the British Friesian breed, especially since it developed the habit of winning the dairy show, but it is to be hoped that he will not commence to criticise Ayrshires and so endanger his own good name and the enviable reputation of his news-paper, and weaken the strong fetters that bind all British Breed Societies together to work along common lines for the national good.' 5 It is most interesting and educative to find an English authority stating that “food consumed in making beef is not utilised in making milk,” which is, to further elaborate, the equivalent of saying that a cow which maintains herself in heavy flesh during her milking period is an unprofitable type for the dairyman. In our lingo, she is a “robber cow”—she robs the dairyman of his profit.

N.Z. MILKING SHORTHORNS. I made reference recently to the Darbalara strain of milking Shorthorns, and particularly to the great family of the strain known as the Melbas. It was emphasised that North Island Shorthorn breeders, at their wits’ end for sires capable of maintaining the productive power of their herds, turned to the New South Wales breed. Thi* strain is held by the originator, Mr. I. T. Cole, to be a pure English Shorthorn. Mr. Cole hAs used in his work of developing this strain full pedigree sires, but the foundation dams’ pedigrees are not traceable. He has bred so long within his herd, however, that it is not material now that the dams’ pedigrees run out. except in this Avay, that many Auckland and Manawatu breeders, and some South Islanders, too, have cows which they claim—and the appearance of the stock supports the claim—to be clean descendants also of old English stock. Mr. Cole’s types do not, however, show just the same character as English Shorthorns of the present day, hut, mated to the right class of female, they leave the goods, and, what is more, the sires of the strain leave producers. To-day the home of the milking Shorthorn is undoubtedly in the Waikato. At the recent Hamilton and Auckland shows, this was well demonstrated. There annually is made a display of milking types that is an education to the dairyman-breeder. And such herds the Messrs. Ranstead Bros.’ herd at Matangi, the State’s herd at Ruakura, John Fisher’s herd at Cambridge, and J. A. Melville’s herd at Pukekohe, and Jas. Parkinson’s herd at Opotiki, are most valuable assets to the Dominion. These herds have been built up or maintained for many years oil English Shornhorn blood. The record butter-fat producer of the Dominion until lately was Ranstead Bros.’ aged cow, Maniaroa Princess, a grand-daughter of the imported English bred sire Red Lord. This cow produced 15,951.71 b. of milk and 700.761 b of fat. Being disappointed with the sires bred in their herd, the Matangi breeders selected the Ruakura bred sire, Dominion Esau, from the Darbalara strain of sires, but from the best New Zealand bred producing cow, Jean of Ruakura, in the State herd. The latter cow afterwards produced 5301 b of fat under test.

THE RECORDS BEING MADE. To-day the Matangi breeders are reaping their liarvest, for a senior three-year-old daughter of Dominion Esau, named Matangi Ruth IL, recently established a New Zealand record for the breed by producing )4.032.71b of milk and 747.861 b of fat. A junior two-year-old daughter in Quality IV. has also produced ]4.5721b of milk and 5911 b of fat, and during her test won the championship at the Hamilton show. This year on test again she has produced as a junior threc-year-old 14,705.91 b of milk and 601.531 b of fat in '389 days, giving 701 b of fat in her flush month and 651 b in her ninth month. Thus she is a ftayer- but. she is not of th? dual eur-

pose type} Still another daughter of Dominion Esau holds the New Zealand record in her class. This is the junior four-year-old Nancy IT., which has produced 15,593.71 b of milk and 608.041 b of fat. Mr. James Parkinson’s daughters of his imported Darbalara bull are doing almost similar work, although still young. THE BEST BREED.

When one considers the work of these milking Shorthorns, and thinks also of the records made already by New Zealand Friesians, Jerseys and Ayrshires, can the question be answered as to which is the best breed. Is there a best breed? The writer does not think so. For if so, is it believable that a milking Shorthorn would produce 109.961 b of fat in one month. This is the latest achievement credited to the breed in New Zealand. The cow responsible is Mr. J. A. Melville’s Glenthorpe Lady. In her first monQi on test she produced '20071b of milk and 95.31 b of fat in 30 days, and the above tally with 28701 b of milk was her production for the second 31 day month. This cow, like the Ranstead Bros.’ great producers, is being milked three times daily. Last season when milked twice daily she produced 6711 b of fat. Mr. Melville has another cow which under similar circumstances last year produced 6741 b of fat. This year she has produced 92.41 b of fat and 97.781 b in two respective months. Outstanding animals are not too common in any one breed, and for that, reason no one cay say which is the best breed. Semi-official testing and herd-testing are daily proving that practically “all good dairy cows are built on the same keel.” Apart from heads, udders, teats and colour markings, dairy cows of all the leading breeds are markedly alike, even if they vary considerably in size. Moreover, the best dams of reproducers are much alike in temperament. Experience has shown that dairy cow efficiency, for breeding or at the pail, is associated with certain commonly recognised and wellrdefined characteristics of form and behaviour.

There are, of course, exceptions to the general rule that the wedge-shaped type, a roomy barrel, a. thin neck and lean thighs, wide apart hip- joints, and a ; large, well-shaped udder are the prim- j ary indications of dairy cow excellence, i A few cows like some geniuses certainly do defy conventional classification. On the whole, however, purebred or highgrade dairy cows are essentially identical in most of their major charactevis* tics, by which they arc known and identifiable.* rapidly increasing know ledge of this fact accounts in part for the remarkable development and expansion which the dai|\v cattle industry haa undergone particularly in the North Island in recent years. It will grow more rapidly and more subsrtantiAlly in the [future if the owners of pedigree breed- ; big herds’Will work together, as they ; are beginning to do, through their ori ganisations. Even where they may difi fer, they are far apart. Their larger in- { terests are tied up together. Competii tion has made co-operation necessary. To increase the popularity of an efficient dairy cow type ig more useful and productive .than to vaunt a breed in a partisan spirit. Breed propaganda in that spirit has had its day.

PROSPECTS FOR MEAT TRADE.

INCREASING CONTINENTAL DEMAND. That mutton and wool will recede in price and that beef will rise is the opinion of Mr. F. J. Walker, principal of the firm of Messrs. F. J. Walker and Company, Limited, frozen meat and produce exporters, whose headquarters are in Australia, with branches throughout England and New Zealand. Interviewed by the Farmers’ Advocate last week, Mr. Walker was optimistic regarding the future of the frozen meat trade. “The present prices of mutton and lamb,, however, must, come down,” he declared. The people of England cannot afford to pay the present prices. Advices from London are to this effect, and sellers who insist on obtain ing the present high prices will have to ship Home and take their chances of the market.” Droughts in Australia, he said, had adversely affected pastoralists to such an extent that the output of frozen meat would this year be reduced by fully 50 per cent. Questioned as to the prospect of trade with the Continent, Mr. Walker stated that this was steadily increasing. “Germany must have meat,” he said; “it is only a question of arranging for payment. Up to the present all consignments sent to that country have been promptly paid for. Cow beef hag never been sent to Germany. Germany and other Continental countries are prepared to take prime quality beef, and have always done so. When international finances have been restored, beef will advance in price, while mutton and lamb will as surely recede to a rate within the purchasing power of the English public.” Respecting the shortage of «lieep throughout the world, Mr Walker stated that the explanation was simple. While wool was low in price had exported beyond their production. “Now that wool has recovered,” he said, “you will find that, pastoralists will not be so willing to part with their sheep. You could scarcely blame them for selling their sheep while mutton was dear and wool worth next to nothing. While wool keeps up flocks will gradually increase and multiply again.”

Asked as to the chances of Australia taking further shipments of bullocks from New Zealand, the visitor stated that there were plenty of cattle in Australia, but drought sometimes caused a shortage, as was the case recently in Victoria, when supplies were obtained from New Zealand. Should a similar shortage occur, it was quite likely that New Zealand would again be called upon to supply the deficiency. Mr. Walker explained that his firm were at present interesting themselves in the establishment of retail shops in England for the disposal of frozi n meat products. Herein, he declared, lay the solution of the problem as far as Australian and New Zealand products were concerned.

GENERAL. No great -kill is required in ringing a bull. The necessary instrument if a bull Jjujach, which cuU a, clgag L

.through' (he. septum . .dividing .the.. Iwo nasal cavities. The correct position for piercing is immediately below the cartilage. If the passage is made through the cartilage sensation is not very keeq, and the animal ,i- not under the same restraint as when the passage is made through the soft tissue. “If any of you have studied Weddel’s chart,” said Mr. J. Fisher, a Southland candidate for the Dairy Control Board, speaking at Wyndham, “you will have noticed that more butter goes into into Britain from Denmark in the winter than the summer, and the British consumer who buys Danish butter in winter thinks he is getting butter fortyeight hours old. The Danish winter is more rigorous than ours, and you cannot tell me that the Danes produce more butter in the winter than in summer, and it is a 10 to 1 chance that the British consumer, in winter, is eating butter made six months previously. We have got to convince the British consumer than our butter is as fresh as Danish, and get him to eat Empire butter.”

In ten years the production of butter in the Argentine increased from 16,617,0001 b to 72,<294,0001b, and cheese from 6,045,0001 b. to 52/265',0001b. This is a big factor in the dairy market.

Do not over-exercise or work the horse if it is desired to improve its condition, but endeavour to strike the happy medium. Should the animal be over-fat, bear firmly in mind that light, prolonged exercise will bring it back to the desired hard, firm condition far bette; than harder exercise fpr shorter periods. The International Institute of Agriculture estimates this year’s world’s cereal crop at 3,318 million bushels, or an increase of 214 millions over 1922. Canada will be the lergest producer, and it is expected to export 290 million bushels. The United States will, come next with 180 millions, and the Argentine third with 120 millions.

According to certain experiments in the west of Scotland on the feeding of pigs, the use of whey and maize meal in the ration will give the largest percentage of carcase weight to live weight, and likewise of bacon to carcase weight. If would also appear that barley meal by itself did not give nearly as good results as when fed with whey or milk. Many men have to start in a small way, with little capital and without much to aid them except stout heart and a determination to get on. It is of no use advising men of this class to buy a high-class bull, because their choice is limited by the depth of their pockets, but their aim should be at good blood and breeding and to invest as much money in a bull as they can afford.