BRITISH LIVESTOCK

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 13 June 1933, Page 7

BRITISH LIVESTOCK

OLD COUNTRY FARMING

ADDRESS TO MOKOIA MEETING

At the monthly meeting of the Mokoia-Whakamara branch of the Farlhers’ Union, after formal business had been taken, a talk was given by Mr. H. R. Denize, inspector of stock, who took for his subject “British Breeds of Livestock” and gave facts and-official figures concerning the position of fanning in Great Britain. About thirty members were present at the meeting. Mr. L. R. Bell, president of the branch, occupied the chair and gave Mr. Denize a cordial welcome.

Mr. Denize quoted first from a recent cabled statement by Major W. B. EL hot, Minister of Agriculture in Brit- r aiii, when he said that England, so far from being mainly an industrial country, actually grew enough, products from the soil and from stock to feed twenty millions of people out of a . total population of forty-three millions He quoted official figures which gave a comparison between various eountries. With regard to England the figures were: Area, 88,745 square miles; population, 42,769,530; cattle, 7,272,000; isheeo, 25,4422,000; a-s compared with New Zealand, area, 103,581, square miles: population, 1,303,000; cattle, 4,072,783; sheep, 28,691,000. 'Australia, he -said, was the highest in the world for sheep, with 110£ millions and Russia next with 89 millions, New Zealand being eighth on the list-, in regard to cattle, India stood at the head with 149 millions, while England was 16th and New Zealand only 25 di These figures, -said Mr Denize, would servo to show what- a- ■wonderful coun--try was England, aiid that it deserved to he called the “stud stock farm ox the world,” for it certainly had tlie finest -stock, the result of generations of work in breeding and careful selection, combined with common sense and brains and ability and expedience. Ho added "that) t-he studmusters or the Old Gauntry by means of these qualities had evolved particular types of cattle to suit particular countries and their special environments.' “There has been,” said Mr. Denize “no serious attempt in New Zealand to evolve a special type .of dairy cow as had been done in the counties of Great Britain.” . , He referred to the remarks made some years ago by the late Mr H. E. B. Watson, one of the _ greatest Jersey breeders of the Dominion, that the dairy cow for this country sholud have a much bigger frame and be two hundred pounds heavier, than the average animal bred bv dairy facers. 'Mr/ Denize referred to the Cornedale sheep, the only breed m New Zealand, by Mr. Little of Canterbury, adding that only by careful and intelligent line breeding could such results be achieved. Mr. Little disregarded what was not required, to. a. way similar to flie methods of the. breeders in England and to the bleeders of horses in New Zealand. Huj'cred that dairy farmers could well take a leaf out of the horse breeders book. Breeders of dairy cattle, he said, should go for the best type of cattle that would continue to jeproduce their like year after year, it was better to have cattle with a fairly high average of production and able to reproduce every year in preference to a few record-breaking animals. Farmers should not, he said, persevere With the “shy breeder.” “If, however, you have proven sires, continue to use them rather than immature animals, and if they and their .stock have constitution the results will be. good and sound ” he added. He said he- iras safe in saying that a lame, proportion of the daii'v cows of the Dominion were by immature bulls. “The breeders of England,” said Mr. Denize, “are marked by commonsense, honestv and enthusiasm, and New Zealand can well take a lesson from the. Old Country. They are masters of breeding and animal husbandry and' have much that New Zealanders can learn. There is surely food for thought in the details given concerning the farmers of England, for every cattle breeder in this country. , Finally Mr. Denize stated that to be a successful breeder of live stoex a person must not only be a good judge and conscientious, ■ but above all midst be an enthusiast. A general discussion followed and Mr. Denize was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his able. nnd illuminating address.