N.Z. LIVE STOCK.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 45, Issue 13752, 3 February 1919, Page 5

N.Z. LIVE STOCK.

JPBAISED BY FRENCH EXPERT.

HARD-WORKING FARMERS

M. Corbiere, the agrucultural expert ■with the French Mission, who paid a flying visit to the Wairarapa recently, while discussing his New Zealand tour, said he had been tremendously struck with the advantages the climate presented in regard to stock-raising and agriculture. There were not the considerations, serious to Northern Franca and England, of providing large quantities of fodder for winter feeding. Another advantage was that the growth of animafc and plants was not checked by severe winters. He had seen many pedigree herds and flocks in New Zealand, and he considered them to be quite as good as anything in the world. He remarked particularly on the flocks of Roinney Marsh sheep he had seen, and. said that, aided by the good climate and good breeders, size and quality had been preserved. He expressed high opinions of the pedigree cattle and thoroughbred horses he had seen, and again gave climate and careful breeding as the reason.

Every country, he said, had to go to England for new thoroughbred blood to keep up the strains, but New Zea land was in a particularly advantageous position. He was strongly in favour of cattle shows and racing as a means of keeping breeds pure and strong. Shows and good judging were of the utmost importance to cattle breeding. They kept types pure, and showed farmers what a type really should be. Without shows there would soon be nothing but crossbreds of var ious sorts; and, while the cross breed was valuable, its quality could only be kept up by pure pedigree blood. Racing had the same effect on thoroughbreds, ensuring that only the sires which proved themselves the best in every respect would be used. He described New Zealand farmers us hard working and thorough, and because of that they were prospering.