PEDIGREE JERSEYS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4743, 27 August 1924, Page 3

PEDIGREE JERSEYS.

THE BREED IN NEW ZEALAND. A BRIEF HISTORY OF INTEREST. Tiie following brief, history of the Jersey cattle breed in New Zealand, with reference to noted buys, was prepared and read by Mr E. J. Walters (Hikutaia) at a meeting of the rhames Valley Jersey Breeders’ Club at Paeroa on Saturday morning last: “The first volume of our N.Z. Jersey Herd Book was published in 1903. Previous to this, say about 30 years ago, a combined herd book was published at Christchurch. This was said .to be ‘A register of all pedigree cattle other than Shorthorn,’ owing, no doubt, to the fact that the Shorthorn at that time greatly outnumbered any pther breed in this country. “Among the early breeders and importers who registered their Jersey cattle in this combined book were Messrs C. Day, Luard Wright, F. A. White, and T. Morrin, of Auckland, Messrs z Stuckey, Gould, and Hill of Christchurch, and probably Mr Hulke, of Taranaki. These gentlemen may be considered the forerunners of the Jersey; breeders in New Zealand. ‘ From lack of interest this herd book became defunct, but its few volumes show to whom, we are indebted for the importation of the various pure breeds up to that time. “In the earlier years of this century it became evident to those who admired the Jerseys that a herd book for that breed only wUs. absolutely necessary; so in 1902 or thereabouts an association was formed, with the object of fostering Jersey interests and of placing before farmers the necessity of procuring purebred bulls. No breed is more prepotent, no breed is more beautiful, and no breed more profitable. The old axiom that a bull is haii the herd led our pioneers to advocate Jersey bulls wherever dairying was the chief object. “How they succeeded is plainly to be seen from the fact that vol, 1 contains a list of but 38 members and 294 cattle, while vol. 20 contains the names of. 1226 members and 6773 cattle. Further proof of the popularity of tlie breed should not be necessary. Are all these .breeders just leisurely gentlemen, keeping this breed just as a hobby ? No, the Jersey cow is preeminently the poor man’s cow l --a sniall eater, easily kept, hut's marvellous producer.

“Not only in New Zealand, but in other parts of the world—in England, Canada, United States, and Australia —do the entries of pedigree Jerseys extend to thousands, and yet we find people who do not yet appreciate this profit-making and beautiful breed.

“Some 30 years ago, when they were less known here 'than at present, I have heard people refer to any misshapen, brindle or yellow beast as a ; and this name mentioned so often ip derision so impressed a German carpneter that I knew that if he came acrosjs a badly twisted block, a cross-grained timber, or even a nail which he could not drive straight, .he would refer to it as being ‘a bit of a Yersey.’ ’ • ‘So, too, when tlie first Jerseys were taken to Taranaki, farmers scorned them as being little better than goats, and quite as undesirable.

■ “The advent of the creamery, and the ■ introduction of official testing, soon changed the -tune, till we find our cattle now referred to as ‘The Queen of the Dairy,’ ‘The Jersey Goldmine,’ etc.

‘ What an expansion in prices, too I In my own experience I have seen pedigree Jersey heifers sold in 1896 for £2 10s each, and in 1921 up to 400 guineas each. It is eminently satisfactory to see such expansion in membership, entries', and prices within our own times, but it is better still, and proud we are to realise that we have still with us many of the old pioneers of the breed in New Zealand, among whom are Messrs A. Buchanan, F. W. Cornwall C. Denner, C. Coulter, S. R. Lancaster, E. D. McLennan, and Mrs Jennins. While of those now passed on one remembers Messrs C. Day, Luard Wright, and F. A. White. “Among the earlier importations we have the following: “Abundance, bred by Mr G. T. Chirnside, of Werribee Park, Victoria, calved in 1901, imported by Mrs F. E. Jennins in 1902 ; Billy list, bred by Mr R. Corbet, Shropshire, England; in- 1881, and imported by Mr H. R, Hill, ot Christchurch, in 1882 ; Cicero 2nd, bred by P. Gode'aux, of Jersey Island, imported by Messrs T. Morrin and J. McCosh Clark in 1884 ; Doctor, bred - by Admiral Braund, England, and imported by Mr Luard Wright in January, 1903 ; Dry Monopole, bred by Mr F. Archer, Houblon, Essex, England, in April, and imported in November the same year Golden Brown, bred by R. Le Brocq, Jersey Island, imported by Mr F. A. White, of Auckland; K.C.8., bred by the Duke of Marlborough at Woodstock, England, in 1901, and imported by Mr G. Gould, of Christchurch, in 1902 ; Magnet’s Boy, bred in Victoria by James McCulloch in 1892, and imported by Mrs Jennins, WaitaTa, Taranaki ; Monopoly, bred by the same breeder as Dry Monopole, Essex, England, in 1892, imported by G. Gould in November, L 892 ; New Zealand Exile, calved JB9B, bred by Mr P. J. Cogswell, of New York, U.S.A., imported in 1899 by Mr C. Day; Wild Cherry, bred by Lord Braybrook, Essex, imported in dam by L. Wright, Drury, in 1903 ; Retford Boy, bred by S. Hordern, Sydney, N.S.W., in 1892, imported by Mr C. Day; Sailor Boy, born at sea on s.s. "Waikato in November, 1893, bred on the Island of Jersey by Mr J. Le Brocq from Sweetpea 3rd, which was also the dam of the celebrated champion Sweet William; Silver King, bred by Anthony Gibbs, Brisfel, England, in 1901, imported by j. Stuckey, Opaki, in 1902 ; Yankee Sweet, bred by G. H. Sweet, of New York, imported in 1906 by A. E. Watkin, of Waitara; Campanile Sultan, bred by Mr Bequest, of Jersey, in 1906, imported by Messrs Griffiths and Cornwall, of Taranaki, in 1907 , Dalesman, bred by W. Alexander, of Jersey, in 1907, and imported by Mr C. Coulter, of Blenheim, in 1908 ; Eminent’s Fontaine, bred by A. M. Bowman, of Salem, [U.S.A’., and Im-

ported by Mr Demer in 1908, Majesty’s Fox, bred by P. M. F. James, of Jersey, in 1907, imported by Mr Lancaster in 1908; Soumsie Jack, bred by Lord Rothschild, of Tring Park, England, imported in utero, and calved at Blenheim in 1909, imported by Mr C. Goulter, "1 have limited the present paper to imported bulls entered in the first six volumes of the New Zealand Herd Book, as the subject is a wide one and the mere names of animals entered up to the end of vol. 20 would take up more space than one could overtake in an essay. The brief record given herein will show that all these animals have been bred on some of the most notable farms in the world, though all are from original Jersey Island stock.

“The popularity of the breed in England, America, and Australia gives a very extended choice. It has frequently happened, when a New Zealand buyer has decided to obtain a bull of some particular family, that he has had to go to England or America, where there are the largest herds of Jersey cattle, for his choice, owing to the fact that Jeiisey Island has become for the time depleted of any saleable cattle of the strain desired.

“Ami here 1 should like to impress upon breeders that it is a sound point to adhere to the strain or family which proves most satisfactory, for out-crossing with other strains is not always attended by good results. “It follows that, as Jersey Island has but an area of less than 30 square miles and no importations of breeding cattle have been made there during the last 200 years, and no animal having once left the Island is evei permitted to return, the various cattle families are more or less related.

“Perhaps the most noted Jersey sire Known was Golden Lad, and probably there is no Jersey of outstanding merit alive to-day which does not trace back to this great sire this applies both to the show-ring and the bucket. A glance at their pedigrees, will -show that many of. the bulls above quoted trace once or more to this illustrious progenitor. For instance, K.C.B. traces at least three times to Golden Lad; Eminent’s Fontaine traces to him through both sire and dam ; Majesty’s Fox also several times and Golden Swan at least three times.

“The great champion cow Lady Viola (sold for £l7-50) was sired by a grandson out of a daughter of Golden { Lad. Her descendants include many : notable cattle, including Noble of Oakland, the highest priced bull of his time, and here in this valley, to-day we have among us many cattle of this < desiraole strain. It will not be neces- ] sary for me to indicate where these ] are to be found, for that point has ] already been dwelt upon at a recent ■ meeting of this Club by one of my colleagues, Mr Buchanan. . “I have not touched upon the production nor the tests of our Jerseys, as sue. h would be outside the scope of the present paper, but I should like to point out "that the quality of the tsire to transmit type, production of buttei-fat, and good constitution must ( never be lost sight of by the successful bleeder. In practice it has been found that the more of the blood of , Golden’ Lad an animal contains the . more is its success assured, “This rule will apply to any other bull 01 outstanding merit which may be found here or elsewhere. Look for the best sire obtainable. It does not follow because a bull is registered that he is worth owning. The mere fact that he has a pedigree is not sufficient. We should study this over, noting first his ancestors, to see if they be Golden Lad, Noble of Oakland, K.C.8., or only just bull; then, if possible, we should endhevour to find out the records of his nearest female relatives, his dam, grand-dam, and daughters ; if these prove satisfactoiy, and the animal himself shows the necessary quality, buy him. “I have met farmers who take such little interest in their herd that they use only scrub bulls on the plea that ‘I am rearing no calves, so any bull will do.’ This is a fatal mistake. If only one'heifer calf a year is reared on a partictular farm it should be bred with the idea of improving on its dam in production. This cannot he assured if the scrub bull is leader of the herd. The grade bull will not improve the dairy Herd in the long run, but the prepotent pedigree anima] of the right sort will do so every time. Hence it is obvious that the best pedigree Jersey bull available is not too good for use in any dairy herd whose owner may desire increased production, improved type, and economical outlay for cattle foods.”