DAIRY HERDS

Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1926, Page 4

DAIRY HERDS

PLANS FOR- IMPROVEMENT

WELLINGTON, July 26. At the coming conference of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, no matter will be more closely considered than tho scrub hull question, in v.hjeh the Union is moving vigorously That there is urgent need for sonic improvement in the Dominion’s dairy herds will he seen from the figures of the hulls in tile country On January Dive, lIJ2L, there were in New Zealand 7SPS purebred bulls (milking cattle), where-

as there were at the same date 63,470 scrub or cross-bred bulls of two years of age and upwards. At the conference of the Royal Agricultural Society last year, it was proposed that the Department of Agriculture should be written to and asked to devise <a scheme for the elimination of scrub bulls on the line of the scheme in, operation in South Australia, but the conference decided to submit the matter to the Board ol' Agriculture. The Board has reported to the Society as follows:—“Consideration of. tho matter was postponed pending the receipt of further information, which tho Department of Agriculture was asked to secure concerning 'the working of Ihe Dairy Improvement Act in South Australia.

“Concerning this, the Director of Agriculture in South Australia has written: ‘lt has, in our opinion, proved very advantageous to local dairymen. Under this Act all hulls over six months old have been compulsorily licensed every year, enabling us to accumulate a sum of money which has boon earmarked for tho improvement of the dairying industry. Among the improvements brought about has 1 een tho giving of assistance towards the purchase of purebred hulls of approved milking ancestry. This assistance lias taken the form of a 00 per cent subsidy, payable from this fund. In addition the cost of assistance to herd testing (associations has been defrayed ir«m this fund.’ IN OTHER. STATES.

“The Board of Agriculture is to consider the matter at an early date, iii Western Australia every hull over the age of six months must he registered at a fee of 10s. Registration may he refused if tho bull does not comply with tho standard adopted, and the hull must be destroyed unless other directions are issued by the Board of Appeal, which is provided. In South Australia tlfe Government subsidises the purchase of purebred bulls, which ere distributed among the owners of small herds in various centres, with the cbject of raising the standard of the poorer herds. In Tasmania all bulls must be registered, and after three years only purebred or grade bulls can bo used. A grade bull is defined ns one which had either a purebred sire or j dam, in the registered herd book. After a few years it is proposed to disallow j grade bulls, and this will effectually j raise the standard of cows, and conse- < quentlv the production of butter-fat. In : YictorSi there is no restriction, and it • is said that there is more difficulty in j. producing good cattle there than '.here ' x was twenty years ago." f