The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, SEPT. 29, 1906.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1872, 29 September 1906, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, SEPT. 29, 1906.

Beyehtixo to the subject of our theme on Monday last, it is hardly necessary to dilate further upon such minute and now unimportant details as black snips and sable ears while we have a much wider question to grapple with —the improvement and not the history of our present stock. What does a bird’s-eye view of the paddocks reveal from one end of the colony to the other but motley groups of animals displaying all the colors of the rainbow, and representing all the breeds

in Iho loxicon of stock loro indescribably mixod as rogards purity of strain, intorsporsod lioro and tlioro with a fow puro spocimons of tho bliortkom, Hereford, Jorsoy, Aldornoy, polled Angus, Friesian, otc. This viow a. onco suggosts tho question, from such a hotorogonoous maBS how can wo produoo tho cnttlo host suited in ovory way to our requirements ? Tho answer is eloar. Taking tho idea of shape, otc., described in tho procoding artielo as a guido as to tho points to bo arrived at, tho first stop should bo a proper and intelligent classification

of tho animals to bo used for propagation (and none should bo so used that uro unsuitable) and thon solect from each class males of tho proper stamp In tho selection of males some diflb culty will, of course, be experienced by tho farmer or breeder who has not had sufficient experience, or who has not enough confidence in his own ability—but in such a caoo there aro always experienced breeders of pure bred stock who aro willing to assist, and if their advice is followed wo shall in a fow years kavo effected an improvement which will bo at once roiuunorativo and praiseworthy ; doterioration will bo roducod to a minimum, and our herds will bo deservedly admired and sought after. There is

now a strong tendency among dairy farmers, owing to tho impetus given to butter making by tho factory systom, to cross tho Bliorthorn breed with .Tersoys and Ayrshires, a practice that cannot ho too strongly condemned It is truo that Jcisoys aro very excellent milkers, and so aro Ayrshires also, but when we have said this wo have said all that can bo said in favor of tho former. They aro small animals with little or no predisposition to fatten; whilst the Shorthorn (also capital milkers) are quite of tho opposite stamp, and when they are no loDgor fitted for tho dairy they are in a very short time and with little or no exponso fit for the butcher at a romu-

uerative price. What then can be the advantage of crossing them with the smaller breeds it is difficult to imagine, because the result of the cross is always an animal of loose proportions, wanting in all the essential qualities of a payable farmer’s beast except for milking purposes; and it is more than doubtful whether the extra advantage (if any) gained in the latter respect is not more than lost in the animals value when she leaves the dairy, io this line of argument the answer would undoubtedly be that a pound of butter is more valuable than three or. four pounds of beef. This may be admitted ; but it would have infinitely more force if applied to the merits of the pure Ayrshires as against the Shorthorn for dairying purposes solely. But even this view is open to question, for wellauthenticated instances are not waiting to prove that for butter-making the Shorthorn has no superior as a breed. Owing to the large quantities of milk supplied by Jerseys, Alderney's, and other small breeds of cattle they may be a payable speculation for the man who enjoys the possession of a large “ milk walk ” ; but for butter making it would be found that quantity is not the sine qua non, and Short' horns would be found on the whole the most profitable. But there are Shorthorns and Shorthorns, and the best strains are the ones that will stand the test. If that be true (and it cannot well be disputed) it must also be admitted that it would be unwise to deteriorate that breed by the admixture of any other. Let us therefore endeavor to improve them by breeding only from —or rather, it should be said, preserving only—the best specimens of the class, and breeding from them with duo regard to the principles already sketched in previous articles. In thi3 connection, however, there is one point that is liable to be overlooked in breeding, even by the most experienced, and it is admirably illustrated by Touatt in the following words : “It is unquestionably true that every perfection in cattle—whether it be one of form or quality of flesh, or disposition to fatten, or to yield milk —can be promoted and retained solely by the breeder’s devotion to his particular object, and if one object be allowed a paramount importance in the breeder’s estimation and practice, other objects will suffer in proportion as they are neglected. The improvement in the carcase of the Shorthorn has been so surprising, and so justly valued, that many persons have allowed that to completely occupy their attention, and the dairy has been disregarded. In such a state of things every advance towards one point has been tantamount towards receding from another; because the same proceeding which tends to enhance a particular quality—will also enhance a defect, provided such defect was of previous existence.” To induce farmers to take up this matter in a proper spirit, a healthy spirit of rivalry must be stimulated and maintained. A substantial reward should await the farmer most successful in obtaining such a laudable object as, for instance, to possess a cow of his own breeding that can beat the colo' nial (it ought to be world’s) record in weight, quality, and production of milk and butter, or one that scores the best average in all these matters com' bined. We see every year that thousands of pounds have been paid for a colt or filly that is, on breeding grounds, likely to run a little faster than his or her competitors without

much regard to the more useful weight-carrying capabilities; and why? Because a spirit of rivalry has worked up racing business to such a point that a horse of that stamp can command capital, and yet it may be said with truth that he serves not so useful a Durpose as the cow ; but in her case the rivalry is lacking, and therefore she has to remain in comparative oblivion. By all means let us have the rivalry supported by its indispensable adjunct-cash. This is a matter for our Agricultural Societies; if they neglect it, they are not performing the duties they owe to the districts they represent, nor are they fufilling the most important functions for which they are incorporated. The mere holding of periodical shows with prizes that would not pay a farmer to ride ten miles to receive is not the way to attain the object they should have in view in holding these shows, hence the paucity of exhibits, the numerical insignificance of the exhibitors, and the total absence of “fresh blood ” in the prize ring. [This subject will be continued on Monday.]