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Hokitika Guardian, 5 December 1924, Page 2

Mil C. K. Hoiikhtson, "ho has just returned from :i visit to .‘south America, i-nfr.rmod a “DomSuioii” representative that at the time of his visit the Argentine was steadily recovering from the slump, or, as it was termed tliere, the "crisis”, and as prices for beef had advanced considerably, and new markets were opening upon the European Continent the country was looking forward to a period of prosperity. During the crisis, dairying had been turned to as a more profitable system of farming than cattle-raising and fattening. but owing to the improved position of the beef market and the really unsatisfactory labour for this technical class of farming. Jlr Uobcrtson said he was of the opinion that no great advance would he made in dairying for some years to come. I’]) to the present the co-operative factory system had not been a sum css, but there wore some huge proprietary concerns which engaged in the producing as well as in the manufacturing business. One of the'-e concerns milked on one property 7000 bead of Friesian cattle, and another (founded bv Mr lteynolds, formerly of Cambridge. Xow Zealand), milked on its properties nearly 1-1.000 dairy Shorthorns. Machine milking was not practised, and the cows were onlymilked once a day. the calves running with the cows. The country was an amazingly rich agricultural one. and tliere were many very large concerns working huge tracts cf land. One company, for example, ran 1.200.000 sheep, the largest cattle breeder owned ‘200.000 breeding cows, and (piite a number of the Shorthorn hreedrs bred -and sold 1000 bulls and over a year; one pig breeder bred and fattened ;12,000 pigs annually. Lines of one-brand steers fat at two years and nine months had lieen sold by one breeder in successive years in drafts of T 0.200 and 12.5C0. The Shorthorn c-attle were the finest in the world, but the dairy cattle and sheep could be vastly improved upon. The prospects for extending the trade in Jfew Zealand

sheep wore excellent, and in time there would bo a demand for dairy cattle. Stock of a high standard were required and in their own interests the breed societies would require to insist upon their inspectors passing nothing for export except stuck of a really creditable class. Quite a number of shipments of rough-looking sheep had been made, and had called forth severe criticism. The market required quality from New Zealand. English breeders had loaedd the market with the other kind—in fact at a. joint sale of English 'Romneys and Lincolns following on the exhibition, not a single bid was forthcoming.