ABERDEEN-ANGUS v. SHORTHORN.

Waipa Post, Volume II, Issue 102, 16 April 1912, Page 4

ABERDEEN-ANGUS v. SHORTHORN.

THE QUESTION DEBATED,

In a recent debate on the relative merits of Aberdeen-Angus and Shorthorn cattle, conducted by the Aberdeen University Agricultural Discussion Society, the points of tho two breeds were thus set forth: — CASE FOR THE ABERDEENANGUS.

Mr W. A. Stewart, who took the side of Aberdeen-Angus, referred at the outset to the hardiness of the breed, and to their constitutional soundness, vigour, and longevity. It was a fact, he said, becoming more patent that Aberdeen-Angus cattle would live and thrive where Shorthorns would starve. Abroad, AberdeenAngus cattle had been found to successfully withstand extremes of heat and cold, and to beat other breeds in many parts. Mr Stewart next dealt with the advantage of the Aberdeen-Angus cattle in lacking horns. It was a continual source of danger to have horned cattle running in an open yard or field. In regard to milking, they had heard a great deal about the milking Shorthorn, but the milking Shorthorn was as far removed from the pedigree Shorthorn as the Aber-deen-Angus was from the Galloway. There were in every AberdeenAngus herd cows the milking qualities of which were such that if they were developed along milking lines, the results would be a milking Aberdeen-Angus in no way inferior to any milk or dual purpose breed in the world. As to crossing, the Aberdeen-Angus-Ayrshire cross formed a most useful dairy cow, and one which was held in very high estimation both in this country and abroad. Aberdeen-Angus beef crosses, especially the Aberdeen-Angus-Shorthorn and AberdeenAngus Dexter cross approached the ideal beef cross.

CASE FOR THE SHORTHORN. Upholding the case for the Shorthorn, Mr R. J. Anderson said Shorthorns all along..had been pre-eminent on account of their great fleshing and milking properties. Some cattle were superior to the Shorthorn in flesh and others in milk, but none were superior in beef and milk together. Comparing the meat of the Shorthorn with that of the Aberdeen-Angus, they found that the Shorthorn carried more meat, but it was not of such good quality, though the difference in price was more than made up by the extra weight. The quick feeding bowers of the Shorthorn enabled them to come to maturity quite as early as the AberdeenAngus. It was a well-known fact that when they continued to breed with Aberdeen-Angus cattle alone, the progeny got smaller and smaller. It was claimed that the Aber-deen-Angus was without equal to a fat animal, and therefore they would expect to find it always at the top of the fat stock shows, but this was not the case. The victories of the Shorthorn would be more marked if the best representatives of the breed were shown. It was far too great a sacrifice to steer a good Shorthorn bull arid to show him at fat stock showsj because when sold fat'he would not realise half of what.he would have .made if sold as a bull. c;Bitt the great poirit in which thd" Shorthorn beat the Aberdeen-Angus ‘was in the milk yield. Both in quality and quantity of milk had the Shorty horns surpassed their former re-' cords.: s ':, In crossing the Aber-deen-Angus might give ...better beef,; but where this cross was persisted in/ft gave a .great decrease in size. This'% was recognised in foreign countries as well as at horned especially in the Argentine Republic.