NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1402, 30 March 1912, Page 10

NEWS AND NOTES.

CATTLE BREEDING,

IN OTHER COUNTRIES,

The possibilities of cattle-breeding inSiam are touched upon by Mr. Crosby, United States Acting-Consul, in a report on the trade of Bangkok, and ho gives some interesting information with regard to tho subject mentioned. In the first, place, he expresses regret that the cattlerou'ing industry in Siam, which was once in a highly flourishing condition, should have dwindled, to such miserable propor-. tions ns those which have been lately recorded. Siam offers' excellent facilities for cattle-breeding, and profitable markets are to bo found in tho Straits Settlements, the Federated Malay States, and tho Philippine) Islands. Mr.- Crosby adds: "In-and-in- breeding, with its consequent reduction, in the weight of the animals, and their greater liability to sickness,, is mainly responsible for the present unsatisfactory conditions. It should repay the Government, well "to organiso measures for the control of breeding, tho importation, of fresh blood, and the stamping out of contagious disease." As showing what can be done in this industry, it may be noted that the number of bullocks (3022) exported last year was nearly five times as great as in 1909-10, and that the itemof pigs—14-.90G head.'.valucd-at M7.ZU, all sent to Singnpore—now appears for the first time in tho list of principal exports. English breeders should not ignore tho hint as to the "importation of fresh blood." Here may be a market for them.

Great development-may be noted in connection, with ■ live stock breeding in Siberia.. For exnmplei'.Petropavlosk, on the Trans- Siberian Railway, is the centre of an immense cattle-breedin? district, and, in ■ spite of the absence of cold storage, some consignments of beef. havo been made from that region. The.number of -cattlo .there rose from 360,000 in 1303 to '770,000 in 1009, and subseciueiitly the advance has continued. ,-, Mutton will also be largely exported when the new ways of communication provide means of tapping the great outlying pasture lands, avid 'as'a proof of their importance the official rehirr* show no fewer than 2.000,000 sheep in Kirghiz SteDpes, and 1.300,000 sheep in Akiiiolinsk. both areas being capable of greater development. In respect to such. progress, however, the TransSiberian Railway, whilst traversing a rich pastoral zone, leaves some hundreds .of miles, to., tho south the most fertile •lands of Siberia. The cattle-breeding industry there awaits an impulse that nilway, communication alone can give. Pig ■breeding is of special ithpocfance, thanks to cheap and abundant fond supplied by dairies, in,the Knrgan district, whence large quantities" of bacon and pork are exported annually; the inadequacy of ; cold .storage installations nrevents. for the present,- an extension of that" trade. Improvements are projected in that direction, and profitable results.are anticipated with confidence.. " " * , MINTED INTO MONEY. THE DAIRY COW. Mr. W. R. Goodwin, managing editor, of the "Breeders'-Gazette" of Chicago, at the gatherings of/breeders at recent'dairy show's in. U.S.A., said that.samo instinct and culture which'load-men of means to pav . thousands. for a. beautiful, .painting also indued them to,, invest liberally, in' beauty of! animal : form. Jacob's ringstreaked and speckled cattle"..may havo. bean useful, but they.' wcro not. beautiful iji that dav, nor would they be appreciated in this day. .A hammer-headed, gabled-, rumped, three-cornered cow does' hot'give milk by reason of these deformities, but in spite of them. A man should not desire ft three-cornered cow any more than a three-teatcd udder. There is something lacking—something of tangible value- missing. Bcautv is more than skin deep in a pedigree animal. It is pocket-book deep. Tho man who reads the history of the trado and fails to find that fact is .blind, for it. looms largo on every page. It is possible- to combine beauty of form with excellence of function in the dairy cow, and the combination rates high in financial value. The breeder who neglects cither factor in the equation is like.. tho man who undertakes to row- a straight courso with one oar. A wide appreciative market awaits breeders who combino attractiveness of form and finish with profitable production. Until a love of the aesthetic is eliminated from the human mind, shapeliness and finish in the dairy cow may bo minted, into monoy.

DAIRY COWS,

JERSEY AND KERRY

In tho course of a lecture on dairying recently delivered under the auspices of the Hathurst. .Agricultural- Bureau, -Mr. W...A. U'Oallaghan, -New South Wales Government iJniry Kxpert, in dealing with dairy cows, stated that of the breeds noted for their deep milking qualities, the llolstein, Shorthorn,' and Ayrshire were renowned, and.the-e were evolved in countries of dense populations, where quantity.of milk was of considerable importance, and cheese-making was a profitable industry. /Where butter was the main consideration, and Inrgo quantities of milk of secondary, importance, such breeds as the.Guernsey, Jersey, and Kerry were favoured; which gave a higher percentage of butter-fat than the deep-milk-ing Of course, there wero exceptional individuals in all breeds. Tho Jersey breeders aimed at about a threegallon cow with a high butter-fat test. A largo yield -of milk- and high percentage of-butter-fat rarely went together. It was the smaller, hardier breeds which should give- tho best returns in this dis-. trict. The ideal would be a hardy Ayrshire with a-high test. This breed must bo classed. amongst those that generally gave a low test, yet there were families which gave '.a comparatively high test,and from one' of those tho Government" was attempting to improve this breed. X 6 breed was so energetic in the pursuit of fodder or so hardy as the Ayrshire. The breed was' evolved under harsh conditions in a densely populated country, where the milk yield and cheesc-makiug were ?iven prominence; hence a high butterat test was neglected.

The Kerry came next, and a good specimen approached nearer to tho improved Ayrshire than anv other -breed. The milk was richer, but the yield was not ■■So-groat. The udder of the Kerry was not so well developed-as that of the Ayrshire, but tho average' Kerry gave richer milk than tho Ayrshire. If the Jersey had been bred under similar conditions to the Ayrshire and Kerry she -would he equally as suitable, but tho environment in which 'she was evolved was not-so severe,. and tho Jersey had been well fed in her native islands. She did not. carry as much hair and could not withstand the cold as ' well as the Ayrshire and Kerry. It must be emphasised, however, that the Jersey was not the delicate, sickly animal (hat many thought. Where the conditions were reasonable, the Jersey was extremely valuable in a dairy herd. The Guernsey, which -was larger than the Jersey and more robust, had attained considerable importance of late years, and the Americans appreciated their' good qualities first and with their wealth had purchased practically all-the best, and it was difficult to get really first-class cattle at present from Guernsey. FARMERS' BOYS. ■ ■, A BATCH FROM ENGLAND. (By Telenraph.-Press Association.) .Feildinn, March 29. The Feilding branch of tho - Farmers' Union has: decided to arrange for individual farmers to'club together to bring out a batch of boys' front England ' for farm work. Each farmer requiring a boy '.will .pay. the-passage money and take his boy.' .Mr. Sedgwick, will;, probably 'be asked to choose ■ the" boys. •.- ....... ALLEN, 'ST. : MARKETS. >-. At.. the. Allen Street market only a small shipment oi bananas from Fiji ar-

rived' yesterday, the bulk being in fair condition; prices ruled from 9s. (o 125., a few. special lines selling at a. little higher rate. South Australian grapes met with good competition, choice selling from ifls. to 1-ls. .Queen, pines, shipped from Sydney, realised from 9s. to 13s. per case. Further supplies of Cook Island oranges and bananas are duo early to-day. Messina lemons are in good request at 14s. to 15s. per half-case. Australian passion fruit is scarce, a few boxes received this week realising 9s. to 13s. Local stone fruit is almost over for the season. Cole's late red plums still continue to arrive in fair quantities, but the demand' is poor; halfcases are selling at 2s. to 2s. 6d. Hawko's Bay peaches, extra choice, dessert, realise from 4s. to ss. per half-cases; inferior sorts, quit at 2s. to 3s. The market is glutted with Canterbury pears,, and all descriptions are hard to sell; the best quit from 6s. to "s. 6d.j others, 3s. to ds. Gd.; local hothouse grapes are selling from Cd. to lOd. per lb. There is now a remarkable glut of cabbages in the local market; heavy supplies aro coining forward daily, and it is almost impossible to make sales. Eeal choico cabbages sold yesterday at Gd. to 9d: per-sack;-other prices for vegetables are: Parsriins, 3s. 6d. to is-'- 6d.; French beans, 7s. Gd.; mushrooms, 9s. to lis. per case; blackberries, 2d. to 21d. per lb.; green peas. 7s. to Bs. per sack; marrow.s, 45.; pumpkins, .45.; .swedes, 2s. 3d. per cwt.;.caulillowcrs, Bsi to 135.; carrots, 3s. Gd.; potatoes, 4s. to. 4s. Gd. per cwt.; onions. 7s. bag;-, beetroot, 3s. 6d.; lettuce. Is. Gd. t0,.25. : Gd. per case; turnips. 2s. Gd. sock; red cabbage, 4s. sack; celery, 2s. to 3s. per dozen head;eggs, Is. Gd. to is., 7d. per dozen; ducks, 3s. Gd.; fowls, 25., 2s. Gd. per pair.- -. . ..