AN URGENT NECESSITY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1036, 27 January 1911, Page 8

AN URGENT NECESSITY.

' KECOItDS OP TEDIGV.EE STOCK. "I have not any doubt that cattle breeding in New Zealand has improved mucK in the last ten years," said a farmer at the Woodvillc Snow on Wednesday, "lint there is one thing wo need to look to, ami, though 1 am against the State dabbling in this kind of thing to any extent, it might do some good, if tho Government tool; tho matter up. I refer to the records of pedigree studs. It is a highly important thing, and ought to be looked into right away." , Without doubt this is an important thing, and the various breed'associations would do well seriously to consider whether' or not they should act with tho object of having proper and sufficient .records kept. It is uuo to breeders who are careful'respecting'their records that those who are not should be brought into line,'.and it,is'duo to the purchasers that all breeders should keen sufficient records.

The ovils of a lax' system of keeping stud records are several, and are far-reach-ing.. If all'the-necessary particulars are not : available, tho purchaser has to buyin the dark. ■ He might, in the absence of good -records, buy an animal which had in it a strain ho was averse to; or pass over a beast'ho would'have liked had he known all the facts about it; or ho might buy 'an "aiiimal-of-blood which already predominated in his stud, when he wanted a change of blood. In any ..cjse,'a man cannot buy satisfactorily unless everything is in black and white before him. If breeders have to-buy'in the. dark their work'is reduced from a-science to a very haphazard affair. ,'., .

First, of all .an alphabetic ' ledger is needed to enable rhc.studma.stor tq refer instantly to'.the records of any animal in his stud. As to the form of ledger the division's for the following particulars, .set out across, tho page, is a guide:— Kjrae (fay, Pansy); sex (cow); born (August 15, loos'); sire (Jumbo); dam (Fairie) ; how disposed of (sold to H. Thomas, .£l2). Below, another row, ..under, tho heading progeny,' and with the following divisions: —Name (Dolly);, sex .(heifer); born (August 10, 1910)-; sire'(Pried);'dam, (Daisy). These particulars, of course, refer only to what maybe termed tho current stud. The records of their ancestors, too, should be kept in intelligible form. This is a matter in which the camera could/-bo employed as a 'valuable assistant. Anyone who has 1 followed the life of a pedigree stud knows of (he similarity in markings and conformity which often exists between, ancestors and progeny. That, however, is a matter about which there is no certainty. But here is a point of real value: Unless a calf is photographed soon after it is born there is a possibility in caso of the youngster getting mixed up, of tho.breeder being unable.to identify it again, and of serious mistakes being made. In kcepin2 photographic records, the photograph of the dam should bo placed at the top of the page, and beneath, in - the order in which they were born, photographs of her progeny. Certain desirable information could be attached to every photo. If anyone wishes to sen a .system of nhot.ograph records, in actual working, let them examine the stud books of Mr. Newton King's Taranaki Holsloins. the records of which are kept by Mr. -William James. Mr. James is an enthusiast about good' records, and the practical result of his Enthusiasm, is his system. , .'" : - • ' '-■ !,' A story told the.writer.by, a New Zea-: land breeder will ' serve to* irnpress. the necessity,for the'exorcise of care. -A 'for-' mer went from tho Dominion to the United States to purchase some pedigree cattle of a certain breed.. He : mirchased a few, paid for them, and left for New Zealand, and file .cattle wore, to be sant on the ne,xt vessel. When tho stock consigned to him arrived in New Zealand' he found that not oni? of them was a beast he purchased— they scarcely resembled tlie'real purchases in any way.'