GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1198, 5 August 1911, Page 8

GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

. A well-known Australian stockbreeder on v 7 r 'i ii m r > commenting -on New Zealand horses, says that if there is one thing more than another that calls tor Government assistance it is the laudablo efforts to maintain New Zealand stock to the highest standard. It is a national asset affecting everyone in tho community. Speaking in reference to cow-testing at the Dairymen s Conference at Dnnellin, If uutcr, of Edendale, stated that there wore about 5000 or GOOO co-,vs Innn f - district, and probably I IOOD of these would be .found to be dchcient according: to . the tests. There would at the samo rato .be -JCOO or 5000 deficient cons probably in Ologo. He advocated getting the, Minister for Agriculture to import, say, 100 high grade bulls every year, 50 for the North Island and 50 for the South, for sale to farmers who could not afford to import these animals tor themselves. They would thon, iu time improve their stock. Farmers would be trilling to givo good prices for vheso bulls at anchor.. There can be doubt about the nualthe New. Zealand draught stock that have l)son:..tent''to Victoria (£avs Mr John Jloir, a well-known Australian'breeder), but those that hnve gone from .the Aorth Ishind have a very doubtful repu'tatioii in Sydney, and the quality is fast falling off. Gelding for gelding, thev brin" jt lens,. £p per. head .less than.tie New bouth Wales products that niav be offer,nfc j look ,vplI > ,)ut ' aro soft, and■_ it takes in most cases quite six montlis to acclimatise. Tho dearth of labour which has been a recurring troublo in parts of the AVaikato ot late seasons has lul to the employment ot a good number of Maoris, and at the present time (says an exchange) several camps are located in various districts, and tile services of the Natives are lieing requisitioned by farmers for potato plantlng, and as in past seasons the camps are hkcly to remain in the neighbourhood throughout tho season. Planting, weedin", digging, and all other harvesting work is (lone by the _whn generally undertake tlic work by contract, and tho camps move-froth place to place as work offers. In the role .of emplovees the Maoris appear to give general' s-vvsfac-tion, and employers speak in laudatorv te-nns of their wo*k. Commenting on the question of the Government Inspection of Horses and tho proposed Stallions Registration Bill, a speaker at the Clydesdale breeders' nesting in Dunedni faid that the British Government was now introducing legislation for tiie improvement of the breed of horses at Home, and many other countries had already taken that slep. France was probably tho most advanced of the' European nations in the encouragement given to horse-breeding, and tho French Government last year distributed X'B-10,000 as prizes at horso shows and by other means to foster the horse-breeding industry.