THE SHORTHORN.

Manawatu Herald, 15 January 1889, Page 2

THE SHORTHORN.

(Concluded.)

Thus was this famous breed founded, and it is satisfactory to know that in this district, through the spirited enterprise of Mr Larkworthy, some of the best, of the best strains of these cattle are at the disposal of the colonists. We paid a visit the other day to the Moutoa estate, and had a look at his purebred herd.

The first cow noted was the " Lady Rothesay Sweetheart " an imported cow of the Bates and Knightly type, and of a roan colour. Mr Larkworthy reckons that she is the best cow in the Colonies. She was calved in 1877. From her he has had two heifers " Sylvan Sweetheart." and «' Rosey Sweetheart." And " Sylvan Sweetheart " has given him the two heifers " Mistletoe " and •• Amulet." " Lady Rothesay Sweetheart " took at the Wanganui Show in 1880 the first prize in her class and Champion G >ld Medal, and first prize in 1882 at the same place for Cow and calf (Sylvan Sweetheart). The next imported cow was 'Lady Oliver" also a roan, of the " Lady Lovelace " tribe from whom he has had " Olive Branch " •• Olive Leaf " and " Olive Bud"

" Olive Branch " has a heiier called " Olive Berry" and had also a bull " Oliver Twist " but he was sold in Hawkes Bay. One other bull from her, uonamed is in the herd. " Olive Leaf" has a yearling heifer, with her 11 Lady Bates 19." " was the next imported cow, of the true Bates type and the "Lady Valenline" tribe. Sho is also a roan. From her Mr Larkworthy has four heifers and a bull fu the herd. "Lady Valentine Baker " one of her heifers, has also had two heifers who have not yet bred and are in the herd. The other imported cow is of he j Malibran tribe, of a mixed type^ ed and white in colour, and was nan ed Little Duchess Brd. he has given one heifer and three bulls. One bull, Belsize, is kept for the stud, and is of a good roan colour. One bull died, and the other, Experiment, was sold at a high figure in Hawke's Bay. The " Duchess of Carnarvon," red, is one of Mr Larkworthy's own breeding, and of her progeny two heifers and two bulls are in the herd, and one bull was sold in Hawke's Bay. The Shadow tribe are very numerous. Shadow Ist was purchased from the late Mr GK Hunter, is also

a roan, and has had ten heifers and three bulls. Shadow the 6th has given one of the best bolls, Avernus, which is kept for the grade cows. With daughters and granddaughters the progeny of the old cow must now number from 60 to 60 head. Another roan cow Biby Duchess 3rd, was purchased from Mr John % Grigg, of Long Beach, has had five calves, the heifers being in the herd, and one of her bull calves having been sold to the Bhodes' Estate. The herd is so large that it -would take up more room than we have at command to .follow the particulars of each female, \but we have succeeded in showing that the chief cows, the parents of the heifers, are descended from the very best types and tribes of the shorthW, and that every care is being taken' to keep the blood pure and up to i'he mark. The predominating strain and type is the Bates', which it m^l *© remembered is the type the Amfc>ricans rfavor as being better for milk than beef, and therefore the best t^pe for this colony. . The two stud bulls are- JJelsiae, & true roan, whose dam is Little Duchess 3rd, an imported cow, ana Avernus, whose pedigree we havegiven above, excepting to- say that his sire is Wild Fisherman 2nd, he being kept for the grade cows. Besides the purebred Mr Larkworthy has a fine herd of grade cattle, and the young* bulls, which are not sold at the reserves put upon them, are used for these cows. The prices necessarily vary for bulls, say from £50 downwards, but nc« purebred bulls are sold under £20, and grade bulls under £10. The other stock on the sf-atioti consists of a flock of pure-bred Lincolns, pure-bred Hampshire Down, sh-flep, and pure-bred Berkshire )?igs, of which on another occasion we m^y give further particulars.