FARMING AND COMMERCIAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1241, 25 September 1911, Page 8

FARMING AND COMMERCIAL.

CLYDESDALES AND SHIRES AT ! HOME. OPINIONS OF A N.Z. BREEDER. A well-known southern breeder, Mr. J. ■ Boag, jun., of Brookside, has just returned from England, where ho purchased the Clydesdale stallion Black Douglas, particulars of which have been published in this column. The stallion, which is for tho Middlerigs' Stud, is described by Mr. Boag ns a thick, evenly-balanced hc.ise, of excellent substance and quality, bred from the best strain in Scotland, and an animal that will lx> a distinct acquisition to Now Zealand. Black Douglas is on board the Kia Ora, due here next week. Speaking of his tour, Mr. Boag says ho visited tho Roynl Show in June. The. show was a very fine.one, and tho exhibition much ahead of anything lie had. ever seen before. Tho entries of stock were- numerous, and tin: prize-winning animals were of a high order oi' merit. The management of tlic ' big show was perfect, Mr. Boag also visited. the Highland Show at Inverness in July. The Clydesdale entries were very fine. The classes were strong, and were almost invariably filled with firstclass animals. Catllo and s'hoep wtre not so numerous, but they were of good standard and quality. Referring to English- horses, Mr. Boag says the most favoured breed in England to-day is the Shire of the large, beefy type, with a preponderate of coarse hair around its legs, and standing on small feet. The lighter class of Shire horses, which appeal most to tho colonial visitor, is not regarded as ■ being possessed of much merit by English breeders. Tho Clydesdale, mostly in favour in Scotland, is an animal possessing a fine quality of bone, covered with a. nioderats amount of silky hair, and standing, on very good feet. They do not, says Mr. Boag" place much importance on the body. This is exactly the opposite of what-"is favoured in tha Shire breed, lu fact, he added, the Englishman f-'aTts to judge his horses from tho (op, whilst the Scotsman starts to judge him. from tho feet upwards. In his opinion tho animal.must be possessed of very good legs—hard and cleaii— and l>o of good quality, otherwies, it is' considered distinctly inferior. The general conformation of the body is not considered very important by the Scotsman. In Mr. Boag's opinion tho Clydesdale breeders of Scotland aro rather neglecting the ribs and 'general conformation of the tody of the Clydesdale, and running too much to legs. • Also, their horses are becoming somewhat undersized. . Tho pick of the horses in Scotland, however, arc excellent animals, and little fault can be found with them, but. a large proportion of them below this class are rather light and small.

Mr. Boag left for tho south last night.

NEWS AND NOTES.

GLEN-OROUA DAIRY CO. ANNUAL REPORT. The report (o I;p presented at the annual meeting of the Glen Oroua Co-operative Dairy Coiipany, Ltd., on Wtclnc-dny 'stales Hint. Iho season just ended has been a.remarkable one in more than one particular. The supply at the commencement b'jat all past records, and in fact by the, end of January tlio output of buttvr showed an increase of 32'- tons over the tamo period of the previous .season, itself n record, hut by the end of May it was found that this increase had Ixeu lost, and tho company, was 7 tons to the bad, and by the end of the year had made aver 1C tens less butler. The drought was the cnuso of this. Again it was confidently expected that high prices would riilu on the Horn?, market; again the dhectors were disappointed, and have to thank the large Wellington trade worked up for placing the average payment at tho satisfactory figure it stands. Tho directors feel eoniideut of a g.iod season in every respect this coming year. Thu following is a summary of (he year's supply, the figures for the lflflSMO season ljc'ng qivpn in parentheses:—l'ilk received. 22,-JSS.SMb. (2.1,242,882); average test, .1.859 (.3.871); butror-fat, S67.S»SIb. (591.428); butter made, 996,2581b. (1,032,601); over-run, H.7S (15.83);. pounds milk to pound butter, 22.57 (22.50). The total butter made was 4(4. tons loewt. 181b., a decrease of l(i tons tewt. lav. 271b. as compared with the previous year. Tho average payment for butter-fat lor tho year -was 10.1 M., and this with tho proposed bonus makes a total of 10.59 d. per 11). The manufacturing account shows a gross profit of .£3241 2s 5c1., and the profit and loss account, after deducting the general expenses and writing off ,£3lO ss. 7d. (5 per cent, depreciation on machinery, plant, tools, office furniture, discarded plant, and fitting;.) shows a net profit of £732 2s. Id. Tiio directors recommend the payment of G per cent, dividend on ths paid-up capital at August .11, 191.1, winch will absorb .8313 7s. 10.1.; a bonus of l-10d. per lb. ou the season's butter-fat, which will absorb .£.lOl 12s. 5d.; a bo.ius of ,£25 to the ;ecretary, and of £?A to the manager: and the balance, .£22 l=. 10d., to be carried to tho reserve fund.'