THE RED DANES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 984, 26 November 1910, Page 16

THE RED DANES.

SOLE HERD IN NEW ZEALAND,

MESSES. DONALD BROS. EXPERIMENT. Although tho Red Danes aro tho nativo cattle of Denmark, where they have a great namo as milkers, they are comparatively unknown in Australasia, except from what has been read of them. There is only one herd of these animals in New Zealand, and that is owned hy the. Executors of the late Mr. James Donald's Estate, Featherston. Tho herd at present comprises ovor'ono hundred head, and there aro here reproduced photographs of tho ancestors of tho two purebred hulls, Denmark's Eisesmindo and Samson Hildegarde, which were imported about five years ago by the late Jlr.. Anders Anderson,

on behalf of Donald Bros.' Estate., Mr. Anderson was a very well-known and 'respected Wairarapa resident; he was'an executor in the estato, and as he .was a native of Denmark it was only fitting that ho should . take an interest! in .tho great dairy breed of- his iountry. Donald Bros., and their father, tho late James Donald, run one of tho biggest proprietary butter factories ' and : calf and pig breeding establishments in New Zealand, and they aro'.. acknowledged authorities on dairy cattle. They, have crossed tho two imported bulls with shorthorns, and tho offspring again with tho sires, who are of totally different breed, and .whp,-hayo como to this country with magnificent records. '. ' ' ■■ ' ! : .- "■ • ■'>■ .''-', _■'•; - ■ In, ono. of'his'reports, Mr..:.: Kinsella>latp Chief Dairy Commissioner-, to New Zealand, referred to his visit to Denmark, where he said the most noticeable- , breed was tho Red i Danish. c6w-., ) .;J10 understood that ~thpy -wcj'e' excellent milkers, with'a fairly ■■high ■■ butter test. Ho was further informed that tho; aye-rage- production per ,coiv for a season ranged; from 800 to 1000 gallons of milk. Tho stock iii ' Feather-' ston havo been found to be hardy and tractable; they possess beautiful teats, and as butter-producing animals their returns aro greater than those-, of any previous breed which Messrs. Donald Bros: havo had on their farms. ■ '■ , The pedigrees of ilie two bulls cover many sheets of paper, and. they disclose a capacity for'detail which shows the Danish dairy cattlo breeder to be first of his kind possibly in tho world. Particulars of the annual supply of milk and butter, with'tho test" are forthcoming from ancestral cows of many generations, dating right back to 189G, when cow-testing was first. .commenced in Denmark. Elsesmindo, grandmother of Denmark's Elsesmindo, was. a noted milk-producer.: In tho season' 19011902 sho produced 10,77S pounds of milk, with a 3.58 test, while in tho year the return was 429 pounds of butter. In £ho next year sho did even better, returning , 13,077 pounds of milk," from which were manufactured 514 ' pounds of butter. The average test was 3.53. Tho sire of Denmark's ElEcsmindo was lilsesminde I, who was sold for £170. The- record from tho herd averaging

53 cows from 1596 to 1903 is interesting.' From ISSG' to 1801 tho annual aver'agc' per'cow was'S2o7 pounds of milk, from which was made 313 pounds.of butter.. From 1902-1903 tho respective figures wore 8316 and 325. Between 1599 and 1903 twenty first prizes and prizes of honour were awarded amongst tho herd, with an annual average of 10,464 pounds of milk, per cow and 402 pounds of butter.- Denmark's Elsesmindo was born in 190-1. It is further interesting, to note that one of his great-grand sires was tho King of Denmark's prize bull, whilo another was a Stato prizo bull, Mazcppa 11. Samson' Hiklogaarde, whose grandeur's picturo is reproduced, was also

born in 1901. His granclsiro, Hildegaarclo, was a noted prize-taker, while his great grandmother, Lise, in 1901 returned in one season 8814 pounds cf milk, from which were mado 'ICG pounds of butter. , The test was 4.11. In the years' 180S, 1899, and 1900, Liso returned respectively 354, 368, and 358pounds of butter. , Ederland, grandmother of Samson Hildcgaarde, returned milk in 1901 and 1902 from which were made, respectively 3GO and 388 pounds of butter. Tho tests were. 3.41 and 3.44. ... ■ It will bo scon that tho stock of Red Danes in tho Wairarapa liavo excellent milking-qualities, and that.they .are first-class butter-fat producers. Messrs. Donald Bros, aro more thar, pleased with them, and they notice that when of tho six hundred cows on their various' farms aro being drafted out, tho dairymen show a universal liking for tho : Red Danes.