THE BULL CASE AND "TELEGONY."

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 588, 30 November 1920, Page 2

THE BULL CASE AND "TELEGONY."

Sir,- I make no apologies in askng for a little space to put the othei ide forward in the above case (o. which I know nothing except wha; v'iis reported in your paper), it beg a matter of considerable import .ice to faimers. Mr. Montgomeric ,ior yet the writer of the article i' Friday's issue, do not believe in 'telegony," and ridicule the idea, -feu", 'now can they explain the following facts, which I can absolutely voue for:

Some years ago I bought a pure »ed Yorkshire sow, whicii in th :ourse of six or seven litteis neve threw anything but white pigs.

lif.ted her with a Tamworth boa 'pure), and she had six white pig •nd two reds, typical Tamworths. Ti ext time she was mated to a Yori shire boar (and to my certain know 'edge no Tamworth boar was withi miles of her), when she again hat six white pigs and two reds, the lat ter showing the characteristics of th Tamworth, but to a less marked de gree than those in the first cross bred litter. From that time on th' sow has never again been guilty o giving birth to a coloured pig. 1 d-> not know how veterinarians regar< "telegony," but I know that as fa back as 1897 one of the greatest living authorities on bees, an Austriar count, recognised and firmly believei in it in mating of these insects. M\ own experience is that almost invari ably the second season's calves frorr a herd of cows from any particulai bull will more truly follow that bull's type than the calves of the first sea son, and I know of numbers of farm ers who can testify to this by thei; own experience.

Mr. Montgomerie, to my mind, is also wrong in the latter half of his letter. Surely the responsibility oi looking after a bull should righth fall on the owner, and I am sure that most farmers would have it so When a man helps a bull, boar, stallion, or any other beast with th' srme inclination to roam, it is up tf him to look after it. We know tha; rccidents like that mentioned in this case will happen, and are hard luck for the unfortunate who has to pay but I am afraid that were the owner not liable such accidents would bt far more frequent. H. O. MELLSOP.

Kohekohe, November 29, 1920,