THE UTILITY HERD-BOOK IDEA.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1127, 15 May 1911, Page 8

THE UTILITY HERD-BOOK IDEA.

OPPOSED m ME. BEAKES. Tlie question of > the advisability of establishing a utility hcrcl book was discussed by the Stratford A. and P. Association, Mr. C. J. Hcakes, Director of the liVve Stock Division of tlie State Department of Agriculture, being present. The discussion was opened by Mr. Thomas, who said ho desired a system whereby ono might reasonably rely on bulls purchased. Some time ago ho bad approached tho Hon. T. Mackenzie, aud be had fallen in with the idea, but nothing further had been heard about the matter from tho Minister. Tho output of tho Stratford dairy factory was 70,0001b. per annum. Could tho • factory not increase its output by a third? lie had increased his own output by a third in six years. He thought there was a million of money being lost in New Zealand through tho breeding not being scientific. Last year there were sixteen thousand bulls in use in New Zealand. Not many of these were pedigreed animals, so that farmers could not rely on pedigree to improve their herds. In New Zealand the standard of milk production entitling to a place in the herd book should be placed fairly low, to enable them to work up gradually. In the past bulls had been brought to tho district which were in tho last stage of decrepitude, merely because of their pedigree.

The Stratford ".Post," from which the above particulars.were taken, reports that Mr.' Eeakes said that there was great need for improvement, but the debatable point was how to do jt. They had to consider whether tho utility herd book was tho best way of gettiug good bulls. There wero too few good bulls in the Dominion, and there was a difficulty in getting good bulls, although farmers to pay for them. Ho had gravo doubts whether the herd book was the remedy. As they stood in Taranaki at tho present time, lie was of opinion, that the safest and best way was to encourage pedigree, bulls. Some grades would produce good .returns themselves, but would throw heifer calves which gtivo very small returns. Ho thought it could bo presumed tliat if a beast came from a line of wellknown good milkers,, there was a possibility of tho beast being a good producer. .When-pedigree beasts were being bred, the breeders could rectify any mistake they found , ; but in the case of grades, breeders never, knew where- they were. There were so many strains of blood in grades that one could never tell what , tho heifers would throw back to. Ho thought it was really dangerous to advocato grades as against , pedigree animals. It would be better if farmers'tested their individual cows in a proper manner, and found out which were their best grades. When this had been done- for somo years it would be time to think about a herd book. It was advisable to walk before running. Mr. Thomas said that in Denmark the Government subsidised good bulls so that they would bo available to neighbours at a reduced fee. How wero farmers in New Zealand to get good bulls? Were they to rely on what tho breeders sent them? Mr. Eeakes said that.was a matter for A. and P. Associations to discuss. Mr. Wobb said at. present, when a ■farmer ■ bought a bull he could not say whether or not ho was in-breeding. After the matter had been debated at length by the members of tho association, Mr. Eeakes. spoke again. He said he was interested'in the discussion, but he did not think tho time had arrived when they could start a utility herd book it had to bo carefully considered that when the book was started all cows entered would bear the hall-mark ns good Producers. The fact that a cow gave 3001b. was-not a guarantee that she was a desirable beast on which to build un a future dairy strain. Something im»ht be done by keeping a register of tho best cows. To be of any use the herd hook must, be reliable, and at present they could not guarantee "reliability. The ?i 1 . p towarcls the improvement of the herds was an extension of the present -herd-testing system in vogue. This extension should be financed on a co-ojm