MOUNT VERNON STUD.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1461, 8 June 1912, Page 8

MOUNT VERNON STUD.

THE CLYDESDALE AND ROMNEY STOCK. SOME BEAUTIFUL HORSEFLESH. The Clydasdalo horses and Roinney Marsh sheep purchased by Mr. J. W. Harding, of Mount Vernon, Wnipukurau, during his visit to tho Old Country last year, were inspected by a party of visitors a fow, days ago. Amongst Aristocratic Clydesdales. Tho first animal to bo inspected wris'tho champion Clydesdale, White Silk (27,391), a seven-year-old mare, whose sire, Baron of Bucklyvie (11,203), was sold recently at public auction for OoOOgns. White Silk is a handsome stylish mare, showing great quality, and has the soft silky hair and hard flint-like bone so characteristic ol the modern highly-bred Clydesdale. In Scotland she had a long prize-list to her credit, and as a three-year-old was unbeaten, being first and champion on each of the six occasions she was shown. White Silk had a few-days-old foal at foot. This foal is a filly, and is by Auchcn/lower, one of the-leading sires in Scotland to-day. If breeding goes for anything, this youngster should make herself felt when she enters the show rings later on. Some critics considered White Silk too light in weight, so she was promptly put on the weighbridge, and turned the scale at 17 cwt. 3 qrs., although she had just landed from a two-months' sea voyage, and this satisfied her critics that she was no "spring-carter." She will bo weighed again when the foal is weaned, and then Mr. Harding believes she will prove to l>o one of the heaviest mares he has on Mount Vernon. Thoy have a very good system of weighing all tho best horses ou_Mount Vernon at regular intervals, and noting tho rssults'in a hook. Nowadays when one hoars so much of want of weight in tho modern Clvdesdalc, it is gratifying to come across a 'breeder like Mr. Harding, who, while breeding animals of great quality, does not neglect weight. An Enormous Colt. In an adjoining paddock the visiting party found Duiirod Sensation (16,209). This colt is just two years old, and is an enormous animal, standing over llii hands now, and he will grow u lot during the next three vears. lie is undoubtedly one of the biggest colts of his age imported into Now Zealand for many -yi-urs. His sire is Lord Leil.h (M,2 M),.' and dam Golden Lady, bv Gold Mine. Jle was bred bv Mr. Wm. Watt, Aberdeenshire. Some breeders may consider that Diinrod Sensation siiows'too much'white in his markings, but Mr. Harding explained that it was difficult to get a horse with tins animal's quality that did not show a lot of white. If a few'more, colts like tin? one were imported, there would ho few complaints about want of size in our draught s. Near tho boxes was King of Honour (15,'JOUl. This horse is just comiii'' three, and is a fins stamp of animal with splendid action. He gives one the impression that he will make a successful sire, and it would be hard to find fault With lus colour and markings. His sire is the unbeaten horse Everlasting (11,331), and Ik was purchased from Messrs. A. and W. Moutgomerv, Kirkcudbright, Scotland. Proceeding on, tho party. went to seo Pride of Cruigie Mains (28,009), another imported mare. She is just four years old, and is a splendid type of mare showing great constitution. She is low set, and looks as if she could shift a load. She is bv Badsii-I'owell (10,903), and her dam is by the famous Hiawatha After leaving tile imported animals, the visitors had iv look at. Baron Daimler. This colt, is two and a half years old, and was bred on Mount Vernon. Ho has taken eight first prizes, and finished last show season bv taking the championship at Waii»aau'i. He can, therefore, claim to bo one'of the best, if not the best, colt of his age in the North Island. We shall no doubt hear of him in the show ring again before long. With the Mares and Foals. During a stroll among the mares and foals, soino matrons who have been great prize-rakers in their (lay were introduced. Tho foals look very promising, and were remarkably quiet. In ■ fact, one could not help being struck by the docility of all the animals on. Mount Vernon. In another paddock were fiveeighteen-iiionth-o!d colls by Baron Graceful. Among these there was no difficulty in picking out Baron Bcntall, the first prize yearling at tho hist Hawke's Bay Show. His Teat quality and correct legs and teet would make him stand out in almost anv compiinv. Further on were a trio nf'eigbtceii-inonth-old Baron Graceful fillies. These are an exceedingly even lot, and it would take very careful judgiug to say which wns the best. A Romney Champion. After leaving the horses, the visitors were taken fo.see the imported Romney Marsh ram Elham No. 15 of 1909. This is a magnificent sheep, with a bold carriage, and showing great constitution. He is well-woolled all over, and has a good masculine head, and there is no mistako he is a great sheep, who will leave his mark on the Mount Vernon flock. This ram was purchased from tho late Charles File, at the Royal Show held at Norwich last year. He was iirst in the 4-looth class, but was beaten for the championship. Mr. Harding did not agree with the judge's decision, ami so arranged to leave Elham No. 15 in .England another six weeks, to try conclusions with the Royal Champion at other shows under different judges, and try and get the Royal Show award reversed. This Elham No. 15 succeeded in doing very thoroiigb.lv, for at East Kent, Mid-Kent, and Tunbridgc Wells shows, all held in tho very home of the Romney Marsh, he was placed first and champion, beating the Royal Champion on each occasion. Mount Vernon is situated close to the township of Wnipukurau, and visitors to Hawke's Bay who are interested in Romney Marsh sheep or Clydesdale horses

will be handsomely rewarded by stepping off nt Waipukurau, and spending a few hours among the high-class stock mi Mount Vernon. - Visitors interested in 6tock are always welcome. FARMERS' RIFLE COMPETITION KAITANGATA AGAIN WIN. ! The animal competition for the Farmers' Union Rifle Shield, presented by the Colonial Ammunition Co., resulted in nu- ' other win for the last season's holders, Kaitangata. In addition to the honour of winning the shield, tho individual members of the team are awarded a gold medal as a lasting memento of the occasion. Tho Kaitangata team wero favoured by perfect weather, and the shooting indicates a high standard of proficiency. Tho score was 579 out of a possible of 630. The runners-up aro tho same as last year, Parnparaumu being only 7 points behind the winners, with a total of 572. The next nearest team is Shannon, with 525 to its credit. Following them were Eketahuna, 473; Waimato (No. 1), -151; Marton, 422; Waimato (No. 2), 411; Cheviot, 341; and Maniototo, 314. Three other teams have, according to the secretary, failed to send in their scores. The individual scores of the winning team were as follow:— 200 300 500 yds. yds. yds. TI. Thos. Fraser 33 29 32 91 A. Smaill 35 :» M m V. Field 31 32 31 94 Thos. Johnson 31 2!) 35 9;. Jos. Smith M "'- ; ' 5 m C. Mosley 32 28 35 95 196 ISI 202 579 THE COW-TESTINU MOVEMENT TMItEIOYL^iRS'T'IIOtiRKSS. Addressing a meeting of the South Island Dairv Association on Wednesday last, the Minister for Agriculture remarked that'the extension of the work of cowleslillg during the past season had borne evidence to the fact that the inilintkm of such work occurred at an opportune time. Since the commencement of the ('ow-JVat-ing Association movement in New Zealand in August, 1909, with one ns-.ociatioii and some 800.cows, the Department has extended the work, and lias this season controlled five-such associations with 5100 cows under test. Added to tho work under the. direct control of tho Dairy Division there wero at the time of speaking at least six other co-operativo associations testing an aggregate of over 800fl cows. Besides tho-work being done by (he associations, a number of cows wero being subjected to test in a less comprehensive wav bv their owners. Dairymen wero studying tho individual cow and her production with an increased interest in the special dairy districts. It was probable that vield-tcsting would be increasingly availed of as tho business method ot improving and purging dairy herds.