BREEDERS OF AYRSHIRES

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1930, Page 15

BREEDERS OF AYRSHIRES

ANNUAL MEETING HELD

OPERATIONS DURING PAST YEAH.

IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BREED.

The fourth annual meeting of the Taranaki Ayrshire Cattle Breeders’ Club was held at New Plymouth on Thursday. Present; Messrs W. Hall (chairman), H. H. Cleon, J. O. Morton, A. Weir, A. G. Hall, F. Mills, jun., R. Connett and F. W. Weston.

The annual report congratulated members upon the continued prosperity of the club. The number of membeis on the roll was 17. All but two had paid their subscriptions for the year.

The balance brought forward from the previous year was £l5 3s 9d and the balance at the close of the year was £l9 9s 9d. The income was made up of members’ subscriptions £7 10s, subsidy on membership granted by the New Zealand Ayrshire Breeders’ Association £4, and interest on deposits at the savings bank Us. The expenditure comprised a donation of £2 to the expenses of entertaining visiting Otago farmers, secretary’s honorarium £5 ss, and postages, etc., 16s. Eight meetings of the committee had been held during the year. All had been well attended. Matters pertaining to the welfare of the breed and the club had been dealt with and the interests of breeds had been carefully guarded. SATIS FA CTO Y CLUB SALE. The first sale under the auspices of the chib took place on May 20 last at New Plymouth, when 50 females and three bulls were catalogued. The initial effort was considered quite satisfactory and the committee had recently completed arrangements for a second club sale, which would take place at Newton King’s saleyards, New Plymouth, on Wednesday, May 28, when 51 -females and three bulls would be submitted. Sales made by individual members throughout the year had been more numerous and more satisfactory than ever before, indicating that the popularity of the breed was steadily but surely increasing.

Ayrshires had been displayed freely at all the A. and P. shows throughout the district. The display at the recent Taranaki A. and P. show was a distinct credit to the breed. Although one or two. ..proiiiiipnt hre.’T/rs who usually supported the show were conspicuous by their a'.: e.i.-.-, the display was second to none in the Dominion. The judge, Mr. C. B. Morgan, expressed himself as being particularly well pleased with the quality of the animals paraded before him. Interest in the show was stimulated by the handsome cup donated by Mr. R, W. D. Robertson, to be won outright as a points prize. Mr. Fred. Westen succeeded in winning the cup. .. .J... . , ‘ - Members would no doubt have noticed from Press reports that Messrs A. M. Weir and Fred. Mills were at present in Canada for the purpose of selecting four bulls on behalf of the New Zealand Ayrshire Breeders’ Association, which were. to be brought out to the Dominion and sold by auction in Wellington about July next. Canadian breeders had for the past three of four years been combing Scotland and had shipped quite a number of highclass cattle to their country. Owing to the embargo placed by the New Zealand Government on the importation of • stock from England and Scotland on account of foot and mouth disease, and the unlikelihood of the restrictions being lifted for some considerable time, breeders had been handicapped in that they had not been able to draw on the fountain head of the breed, where so much improvement in the past few years had taken place, to infuse their herds with new and improved blood. Great interest would naturally be taken in the selection made by Messrs Weiland Mills. ONE OF LEADING PROVINCES. The position as shown by the report j and balance-sheet was very satisfactory, said the chairman. Taranaki eould claim to be one of the leading provinces in Ayrshires in the North Island at any rate. In the farmers’ publication the l parent body had been using for its advertisements pictures of cattle outside the Dominion, but in its latest issue it had used pictures of Taranaki cows. Taranaki should feel honoured in having this exhibition of the breed.

He would like to mention what the breed had been doing in the semi-offi-cial tests. One three-year-old Ayrshire had done particularly well, Fair Lass of Green Banke, with 639.851 b butterfat, breaking the previous record for three-year-olds in the Dominion. Ayrshires came second among breeds in the Dominion in the average semi-official tests, having a test of 481.481 b butterfat. The Ayrshire could hold its own with the best of them.

Une other matter was the importation of selected bulls from Canada. Messrs Donald and Buchanan had selected three bulls, which had arrived in the Dominion. At present Messrs Mills and Weir were purchasing bulls for New Zealand in Canada and the bulls were just due to leave Canada. These visits showed the growing interest in the breed and the steps being taken to improve it. , The report and balance-sheet were adopted.

Officers were elected as follows: —President, Mr. W. Hall; vice-president, Mr. H. H. Olson; executive committee, Messrs F. Mills, jun., A. Weir, J. Morton, R. Connett and F. Weston.

The secretary was voted an honorarium of five guineas. Mr. R. Connett and Mrs. M. E, Weston were elected members. The last Friday of the month was fixed for committee meetings.