JERSEY BREED ASSOCIATION

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2192, 3 July 1914, Page 10

JERSEY BREED ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL REPORT.

The annual Toport, to be submitted at the annual meeting of the Now 'Zealand Jersey Cattle Breeders' Association, states'that (hiring the , year C 4 new members were:elected, which brings the total up to 303,' : The council draws especial attention: to the necessity of increasing tlio in'cbmo of tlio association. If funds aro'niado available for the use of the council,;ii may be found possible to' arrange for a systematic and comparative inspection of the stock ' and nerds throughout tho Dominion, and thns raise our standard and educate the dairy community to the supremo advantage Of the'jersey as a dairy cow. -At present tho assets of the association do not .admit of "this, nor of tlio extensive advertising'Vlrich tho work of tho association .thoroughly deserves, ' and which would repay such expenditure very handsomely; Up to tho end of tho last financial year, May 31, 1913, tho invested.. of tho association amounted to £400; at. the present moment they amount to £875, showing an increase; of over 100 per cent, in tho present financial year. Tho incomo from the investmont of this sum will bring in £43 -10s. per annum. The Council aro gratified at tho very general adoption of the yearly milk and Dutterfat tests made under the supervision of tlio New Zealand Department. of Agriculture, nnd they consider this test cannot but of. the greatest comparative value to breeders and owners. Tho hope is expressed that the Government may. some day see- their way to consider tho question of. tho comparative cost of feeding,' which is and must be the fundamental factor in all comparisons. Any practical .suggestions on this matter whi'ch the.oxperieneo of breeders enables them to give would bo of value. For'-'the.purpose 'of raising to a still higher'standard the average excellence of the: Jersey cow, , and of. securing an additional authoritative and permanent record to -which -reference can be niado in tho selection of breeding : animals, and to. put on.record meritorious cows judged by dairy , performances, tho council have decided to establish a class, in tho Herid Book to bo'known as the "Advanced Register of Merit," in which all registered females will bo numbered andrecorded when they comply with the conditions • for authenticated yearly milk and butter-fat records made under tho supervision'of the New Zealand Department of Agriculture. It may also.be stated that, for tlio futiiro, gold, silver, and bronze- medals will.be awarded in each of the four following classes: —Cow, two years and under three years; cow, three years and Under four years; cow, four, years and under fivoJyears; cow, . Jive -'years and over. These medals will be awarded to, the cows producing the throe 'highest' yields of butter-fat in each year 'in authenticated , butter-fat teste conducted under'.the supervision of tho Department of Algrieulturo according to age.at commencement of test; all tests to bo completed on >August 31. in each year. To encourage, competition amongst breeders at iiEricntnral shows, the council have allotted silver cups to each of tho following .A. arid P.' Associations: — Franklin, , Whangarei, Dannovirke," Egmont, Wanganui, and Nelson. A- standard dio has been cast .'arid will bo used for ali medals to ho hereafter donated by the association '. . , yHerd Book, Vol. XI, which will appear in tabulated .form, will contain tho pedigrees of 575 bulls anj_ 675 heifers.' The Jiame3 of 70 cows holding authenticated yearly records,, with tTieir Advanced Register of Merit numbers and full particulars of tests, are included. A pamphlet prepared by order of tho council is now in course-of compilation, andwill shortly-be. availablefor distribution. It will: be a precise and comprehensive treatise, giving tho fullest possible information on all-pointfi of interest with regard-to Jersoy cattle..