MR D. W. McLEAN'S DAIRY HERD

Press, Volume L, Issue 14969, 16 May 1914, Page 14

MR D. W. McLEAN'S DAIRY HERD

fiAJLE AT MOUNT BUTT.

One of the most important sales of a high-dace dairy herd -which has taken place in th© Ash Burton district since as • far back as 1882, was commenced on Mr D. W. McLean's Mount Hutt estate yesterday, when the New Zealand Loan andUMerpanttte Agency Company' submitted for bona fide unreserves! disposal for Mr McLean., 300 cows, 20 pedigree Ayrshire bulls, 11.0 choice heifer calves, 15 fat cows, and a few good stamps of draught maxeg and geldings, somo use,fiil hacks and saddle horses, ahd : a. lot of implements 'and sundries.

The sale was held in con&oguenco of Mr McLean' having reoently sold the greater portion of his Mount Hutt property, and his giving up, to a very large extent, the extensive dairying industry he has been building up for the past four years, durinp which time he has got together one of tho best dairy herds in the South Island, erected an up-to-date and thoroughly well-oaTJipped factory, and demonstrated that the flata on the Mount 'Hutt estate aro admirably adapted for the grazing of cows as well as sheep, and for the growing of wheat and oat crops. During tho four years Mr McLean has been getting his dairy herd together, ho.has spent large suras of money.iv obtaining the best strains of milking -cattlo that could bo got. aud has spared no reasonable expense in getting together a very fine herd. The cattle broughT"under the hammer yesterday were as good an all-round Jot as one could wish to see. They comprised Jersey, Ayrshire, Shorthorn, and Holstein crosses. The herd, during its selection and building up, bod from time to tiro© been judiciously culled and well cared for, witb tho result that witb about three solitary exceptions thero ■was not a poor-conditioned animal submitted to public competition. There was a good attendance of buyers and others, who were convoyed from various parts to tho scene of tho sale- in znotor-cars. drags, and other vehicles. Bidding at the saio in tho forenoon was a trifle slow, but during the afternoon it was often decidedly brisk, though no particularly prices were realised. The salo all through must be regarded as a very eatisfaetory one.* A few" cows and heifers wore first offered, and brought from £5 10s -to £,% JOs per head. Nearly tho whole of the dairy cows offeroa were bought singly, and the prices realised were £4--ss, -£4 10s, £5. £5 ss, £5 15s, £6, £<X 10s, £4 10s, £7. £7 ss. £7 10s. £7 15s, £8, £8 ss, £8 10s. £8 15s. £9. £9 ss, i £19 10s. £9 15s, £10. £10 os, £10 16s, £11, £11 ss, £13. £13 Sβ, £13 10s, £14, and £16. The lowest figure paid was 30s for the one ancient and email cow of the herd. The principal buyers were Messrs Hjunish McLean (who owns the adjoin- J ing property, and who Tocently became j tho purchaser of a considerable portion of tho Mount Hutt property). Frank Peter (who has eoino suitable mttle country at Mount Somers), Collison, C. Ellory, W. W. Gibb, J. Moreland, C. Ireland. A. Hwleton. T. Gtindry, Amos, H. Newton, TV*. Arley Clark, H. Parks, H. Kennedy, S. Campbell, Wright, G. 0. Crowley, and S. Smith. The balance of the dairy cows (about ICO), the pedigree bulls, the young stock, and the horses and implements will be sold to-day.