THE COLONY'S CATTLE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13237, 18 March 1907, Page 3

THE COLONY'S CATTLE.

An interes ing lesson, says a contem poiaiy, is conveyed by that section uf the gricultmal statistics dealing with the cattle of (he <olom This shun* tha*-> ■« hile the total uumbsi of cattle m (.leased bj 40,814, the puiebied ha\e deti easel bj 30"3 lesson !<• obvious The thiee principal daiij bieeds—ind it is in connection with dain r cattle wheie the chief falling oil has t ken place—aie m, (he following numeiiuil posit on : t Shorthorns (the bulk of these, how e\ei. being of the 'beet typei . 'Jotal numbeis 53,188: deueise '234 Theie is .in inciease nndei flnee headings of 785, thele being 438 moie buIL, 227 uras oi heifeis foi bleeding, and 120 heifeis uncler two yeais The de cieases total 1019. (he jumcipal Head mg being 542, twoveai heifeis intend ed foi dairying; next come 4CO? in tworeal bleeding heifeis; and 77. in cowti oi heifeis foi d at?ing ' Jeisejs TbldV 4814; ,deuea,se 54The pnnc'pal mueasc lids, In bulh. 175; ion, oi heifeis foi bleeding lo rahe this being 324 moie Ihe decieases weie 246 and 139, (he foimer in dam cons oi heifeis tn cal\e this season, and the 'a'tei m heifeis iindei two ye.us old Ayishnes:, Total, 4157; deuea-e, 534 An incie «e is only leroided undei one het ding breeding heifers p\er two yetrs, of which there a'e fouilnioie

The figures for , the essentially beef breeds. IJerefor.d and 'Aberdeen 'Aliens, are equally interesting. . They indicate a remarkable popularity for *(he former, as Shis' is the only • jnire eatUe breed" in the colony which shows an increase, and. the increase , ■■ mounts 'to the excellent total of 1779, the only decrease recorded being 230 in cows or heifeio for dairy purposes. On the other' hand. Aberdeen Angus are leeeding before jthe advavnce of the Herefords, having decreased bv- no less than 1563, the greatest falling off in purebred cattle lecorrled. 'The principal heading of decrcsei is cows or' heifers kept . foi breeding, of whicli there aie 1866 levsr in Ibis Hawke's Bav ' contributes 909. Oiago 697. Auckland 143.' and Wellinelon 137. The o'lier decrease is in heifers, under two years.—4o3. ' In other sections increases nrf recorded.- and ' a very interesting fact is that while the 1 onlv decrease in Herefords K in females kepr for. diary purposes, the principal increase' in Aberdeen Anuus under this heading, the numbers being 407.