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Hokitika Guardian, 13 September 1922, Page 2

Ai.i, farmers know the good results that can he produced by careful breeding and judicious culling of herds. It was because England, right through tlie Middle Ages anil down to comparatively recent times, had greater opportunities for applying this knowledge than were allowed to farmers in Europe that English stock-breeders were able to develop some of the finest horses and cattle in the world. How this came about was described by Mr J \V. Poynton, 5.. M., in nil address at Papatoetoe, states the Auckland “Star.” On the Continent, he said, there were innumerable princes, bishops, dukes, and barons, each of whom had an irrepressible enmity of his more successful neighbour. Therefore, if an ambitious baron improved his stock on his manor lie was soon called upon to defend it by force of arms against warriors from ■ around him. This invariably resulted in the dispersion of the cattle and virtually a return to the old state of things, so that ns often as improvements were made they were destroyed again. Tlie difference in England was that under the strong government of Wiliam 1 find his successors n soourity was gnaraufejed for private property to such fin

! extent, that the lords and freemen making improvements were certain to reap the benefits of them. Apropos of the good stock to be found in Englishspeaking communities it is interesting to note that so far as this Dominion is | concerned, testing of cows forms a valuable section of the annual report of the Dairying Division of the Department of Agriculture, in view of the j great development of dairying in New | Zealand. The Commissioner remarks, ! however: “The total number of cows systematically tested last year was . 45,56-1, which is not a satisfactory pro- | portion of the Dominion’s milking stock. One would like to see herdtesting a definite part of every dairy company’s organisation, the cost to bo borne by the company. This would rej suit in more systematic herd-develop-j meat, with a resultant benefit to the revenue .of the individual, the dairy I company, and the country as a whole.” | The popularity of association testing is - increasing, 25,912 cows being tested as j compared with 19,799 last year. To , keep up the reputation for first class j stock, dairy farmers in New Zealand and in-this district specially should turn their attention more earnestly to ' j cow testing.

A writkk on banking in the British Dominions refers to New Zealand renditions, like those of Australia. Canada, and South Africa, as having been “troublesome,” reports the Wellington “Post’s” Condon correspondent. Turning to New Zealand the writer remarks: “A pretty sharp set-hack in profit . was undergone by the Bank of New Zealand in the year to March 31, hut the decline of £145,200 was of little moment, seeing that £214,700 more was brought in. The dividend was actually the same as for the preceding year, though the rearrangement of the capital account led to the rate being called 13 1-3 per cent in place of IG.{ per cent. Appropriations were the same as in 1921 £150.000 to reserve and £50,000 off premises—and tho carry forward was swelled hv £69,500 to £430,800. The reserve is now £1,5*25,000. “Banking conditions in the Dominion,” the writer continues, “were so exhaustively and clearly explained by Mr W. Pember Beeves at tho meeting of the National

Bank of New Zealand less than three weeks ago that we need not go over the ground again. The National Bank is in course of increasing its capital from £1,000.000 to £1,250,000, and its reserve from £1,050,000 to an equality with the capital, so it is evident that the rather unfavourable results of the past year, the fiftieth of the bank’s existence, arouse no misgivings respecting the future. Tho profits receded £114,000, but all of this was made good by the larger balance brought in and by .the saving of £75,000 devoted to investment depreciation a year before, so that the undivided balance was substantially reinforced.”