THE OLD RACE OF SHORTHORN CATTLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2811, 29 January 1908, Page 6

THE OLD RACE OF SHORTHORN CATTLE.

The Teeswater cattle, tfc© originals of the modern Durhams or shorthorns, were renowned milkers. It has been said that the Ayrshire breed was evolved by crossing the native cattle of the south-west of Scotland with shorthorn bulls ; hence the splendid milking qualities of the Ayrshire. Many of the shorthorn herds in the northern counties of England, and ! several in the midland and western counties, have an unsullied history, and from these herds were selected most of the cows which were first brought to Australia and New Zealand, milk during the voyage as well as in the early period of residence being ,one of the .mosb important considerations for immigrants in those days when condensed milk was unknown. The type was never entirely lost sight of, although there have been numerous changes of fashion in shorthorn breeding ; ' and many New. Zealand herds contain animals • whose descent can. be traced back to these old importations, while it is claimed that the famous Jllawarra milking shorthorns of New South Wales are direct descendants and retain the type of the old race. A description and photographs of the latter cattle, which appear in the annual of the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales for 1907-, show this strain to possess milking character in the highest degree, and it is stated that the milking qualities of the early stock were such that' station-owners considered them rather a defect, so much trouble being caused by bursting udders and consequent loss of calves. Most of the dairy-farmers, however, realised the great value of these cattle, and although the shorthorn boom of the seventies tempted some of them into making a trial of the modern beef shorthorn, they soon returned to their allegiance and dairy character was cultivated more sedulously than ever. It has been said that Ayrshire* and Jersey crosses were made to obtain a quick return to prolific milking, and no doubt this was so in many cases; but the historian abovequoted, who writes with 70 years' knowledge, affirms that the bulls most used at that juncture were pure' shorthorn, many of them descended from one famous imptjrted bull, whose influence was invaluable.' And here comes in the value of pedigree — of heredity. As time went on it became very evident "that the- uniform excellence of the original herds was due to the purity of the shorthorn foundation, and, this being, realised, there was a universal desire to return to the old strain. In the real test of purity of breeding — the power .of transmitting their character and high producing qualities to their offspring — the ffiawarra shorthorns are declared to stand unrivalled, and this is the great secret of their success. Had the writer quoted been a modern disciple he might havecited his case as a striking 1 confirmation of the Mendelian tjheory. The close resemblance of the Illawarra shorthorns to animals in English ' milking shorthorn herds, as seen in published photographs of each, is in itself proof of identical origin. Returning to New Zealand, it is j pleasing to see that even in .herds in which beef has been the first consideration the milking type,, of which the Bates j family is the centre, has been preserved, and will be afforded a greater opportunity than ever before in this Dominion of extending its useful influence by tfye gift of 25 head' of heifei's of this strain by Mr G. P. Donnelly to the Minister of Agriculture. Each of these heifers will be carefully tested, and no doubt a high standard will be set of the performances and quality of those whose bull calves will be reared for distribution amongst dairy-farmers. It is to be hoped that the bull selected for. this valuable herd will be worthy of the position — none can be too good for the object in view. The axiom that "the bull is half the herd" does* not convey nearly the whole troith:it is an established fact that the females by a bull of deep milking pedigree will be incomparably better milkers than those from the best milkers by an ordinary bull. The influence of the bull is paramount in cattle-breeding, and this is a point which is lost sight of by fioo, many owaers dairy herji-w