A JERSEY HERD.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 984, 26 November 1910, Page 14

A JERSEY HERD.

MR. E. EAGLE'S ACHIEVEMENT ARISTOCRATS OF THE SHOW RING. Ono of the most successful Jersey breeders in Wairarapa is Mr. E. Eagle, junior, of Greenfield, Belvedere. Nothing- is mpro interesting than to note tho casual way in which men often tako up tho lines which they afterwards make their own. Mr. Eagle, who was born in Wellington, started farming on his present property twentyfivo years ago. Tho place was in a torriblo mess when ho took it in hand, as a firo had previously run ~ through tho standing bush, and chaos reigned. As ho got the bush clear Mr. Eagle went in for dairy farming. In 1889 his father-in-law, Mr. Burnett, attended a stock sale with him, and was very anxious tbat ho should purchase a certain Jersey cow which was put up for salo. Mr. Eagle was not impressed with 'the look of the br«od, and. flatly, refused to run "rats of, animals like that" on his property. As persuasion proved in

vain. Mr. Burnett himself purchased the, cow. and. handed it over to his son-: in-law as a present.

Without much enthusiasm, Mr.. Eagle took homo the cow, Darkie by name. However, ho soon came to realisß her merits, and it was not long before ho became as enthusiastic an advocate of Jerseys as was to bo found in the district.

Mr.. Eagle continued breeding from the Darkie stock up till 1002. At tho .same time ho also did a little showing," with moderate "success.---'-His present success, however, dates from his purchase in that year of five .cows from Mr. Gould, of Christchurch. The whole of the cows of tho present herd are descended from one of these cows, Mulberry, an animal with which many prizes wore taken in her day. The herd now numbers 26 head, and the sires in use are K.C.8., an importation from the Duke of Marlborough's famous Jersey herd at Blenheim Palace, England; and Silver Coin, another handsome beast with a fine ancestry, bred by Mr. H, E, B. Watson, of Chriat--church. Silver Coin is descouded from what is probably the best milking strain, in New Zealand. The cows are all very deep milkers, and are a beautiful type of Jersey.

One cow, Bilberry 111, has won the Wairarapa Society's championship for the last four years in succession, and has taken ' the championship at Palmerston North for three years in. sue-

cossion, the previous year being first in her class and reserve champion. One of the bulls, M.L.C., has been] to'iee champion at tho Wairarapa show, and twice at Palmerston North. Altogether. Mr. Eaglo has won about fifteen championships during tho last eight years. Tho present state of tho herd is well indicated by tho record of its winnings at tho two shows at which exhibits have been made this year.'.The figures are as follow. — Championships -.. 2 Reserve championship 1 First prizes 8Second prizes 3 Third prizo 1 : Total of awards 15 As a practical dairy farmer, Mr. Eaglo hns aimed at making his herd first and foremost one of the highestdairy utility. The sire, the exports tell us, is more than half the. herd, and all tho Fairfield sires have been selected from tho very best strains of milking blood to bo obtained in tho Dominion, \

The cows have all tho appearance oJ being magnificent milkers, and they are stated to be -more- than equal to''theii : lo'oks when it- comes down to practical; ■business. At the present time tho wholo herd is giving an average test at the Belvedere Dairy Factory of no less than 5.2 per cent of butter-fat/

iOnq cow, - Bilberry V, gave when ■tested not long ago 2461b.'0f milk in a period of seven days, with a test of '1.9 per cent of butter-fat.

Naturally with a herd of this description Mr.Eaglo hae niany-applica. tions from pei'jons desirous ■ of ■ purchasing his young i stock. There is a scarcity of good Jersey cattle in the colony 'at present, 'and tho demand ia far in excess of the supply. '

Mr. Eagle states that had Iβ -been lucky enough to have them ho could easily have ' sold? 500 head of Jerseya this season, and have-disposed of them, too, at excellent prices. Despite tin* popularity of some- of the -newer breeds in dairying of late, there can be m doubt that the over-popular little animals from the Channel Islands stiD more- than hold their own. They hava been well tried .and tested over inanj years, and, with'a good strain, from 1 herd such as that described in ■ this article, a farmer knows just -what he is. buying, and has tho comfortable'

feeling that he cannot go far wrong with them. '

Besides his Jerseys, Mr. Eagle fcj. ~ also the owner of.a stud of Romney. , Marsh sheep. These are descended' from some owes which . he purchased some years ago from the well-known" : flock of Mr. Nix, of Tauherinikau. The ; sheep, which are of an excellent stamp, . havo not heen shown by Mr. Eagle,who prefers to devote his whole atten-" tion at show timo to his cattle. -There : is naturally a considerable ■ amount 0f).,,; work.attached of. stocky.,., especially of cattle, and Jir.'Eagfc fin'dj"' his Jersey exhibits quite as much •a£ he cares about being bothered with.: . ■;-.

. In years gone by Mr. . Eagle had., made quite a name for himself at the local shows with his Berkshire.-pigs, and pig-breeding was carried on extensively on the snug 'littlo' property at the foot of the' ranges. The pigs did well at tho shows,. and secured numerous medals and awards. Despite his successes, however, Mr. Eagle decided to drop tho Berkshire exhibiting alto-' gether, and concentrated entirely on the Jerseys. . ' _

Jersey breeders will doubtless be in-, terestcd in. the breeding of Mr. Eagle'i, crack bull, K.C.8., which has beeD getting him excellent stock. K.C.B. was calved on July 2, 1901, and, as stated above, he was bred, by the Duke of Marlborough at Blefr. heiin Palace, Woodstock, England. H« was 'by Convent 'King, out of. Lady

Belle. Convent King was a bull bred by Mr. J. Atkin at St. Mary's, Jersey, and was a prize-winner in his day both at the Norfolk and Yorkshire shows. Lady Belle (K.C.B: ; s dam) was bred by Mr, P. C. Billot, junior, of St. Clenients, Jersey. She was awarded first prize in her class at tho Gloucestershire show, and at the Tring show was sold for 76 guineas. K.C.B. is an aristocratic-looking bull, and, he has as aristocratic an ancestry as .a. Jersey breeder could desire. ■ Mr. Eagle's property, it may be explained for tho benefit of those who do not know the Wairarapa, lies between two. and three miles out of Car-, terton in a westerly direction. It is on the Belvedere Road, and is the centre of one of tho most famous dairying districts in the North Island: , Close behind are the foothills of thi Tararua Ranges, which rise sharply along the western sido of the plain, anj sloping away to tho east is tho plain itself, as fino a district for raising stock as is to .be found anywhere [within or without New Zealand..