IMPROVING THE HERD.

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 8091, 31 December 1906, Page 2

IMPROVING THE HERD.

I\ these days of keen competition in the maikets of the world, it behoves the dairy fanners of New Zealand, if they wish to retain the prestige that is at present theirs, to neglect, no means of improving their herds, both by culling and the importation of new stock, adapted to the conditions ol the land they ate intended for. I'he dual purpose animal has often been advocated, but the dilliculty of obtaining a suitable strain, has led experts to deprecate too much attention being paid to it. If tin experiment ventured upon by a -Martinborough fanner proves satisfactory, this dilliculty, as far as rough land is concerned, should disappear. There arrived from Kugland last week to his order a consignment of cat ■le which should prove of considerable value to the colony, especially if confined to the class of country suited to them. The breed is the Devon, a hardy race of cattle which of late years has become recognised beyond the eontiues of its local habitat as worthy the attention of graziers and even dairymen. Originally the Devon was of one type but at one period of its history, about fifty years ago, there was developed a slightly different type, a lighter-coloured animal with more of the dairy type in its conformation—known as the South Devon. This is a decidedly useiitl type, and should be particularly suited to parts of New Zealand in which other breeds ol cattle have

been tried without much success. M.inv years atro there were a lew Devons in the colony, but the breed has now almost totally disappeared. From English records it is clear that

it is possible to develop highly profitable beasts, both ti-oni beef and dairv points of view, out of South Devon stock, and eoiisidernig tins fact, and their haidy nate j, the advent, of De.ous to the colony is a matter for cu nrratulation.