LIVE STOCK AND THE FARM

Southland Times, Issue 18853, 19 June 1920, Page 7

LIVE STOCK AND THE FARM

I During the currency of the great National Dairy Show at Palmerston North next week, when annual meetings of Breed .Sociei tie.--, Stud sales, etc., lake place, an event of I more than usual inti rest to breeders of i Ftie-ian cattle here will he staged. This wifi ! he the disposal in connection whh the sale of a select ittn of cattle front iVlr .1. Liggin’s iAshlea herd of the four year-old son of Mt W, D. Hunt's great cow, Wcstmcre Princess I'ietertje, whose record as a four-year.old I was 9391b of butter-fat in 36.5 days. The bull to he offered was bred by Mr John Donald, prior to his selling the cow to Mr Hun! for 500 guineas. Although (he Jersey ) has been coining into prominence lately by j reason of the fact that two cows have’sold j fur over .300 guineas, (his breed, which has | been out-stripped all along for production | by the Friesian, is still a long way from g making equal prices. !t is years ago since I the lir.-l I riesian heifer made 300 guineas I in New Zealand and only a few months, ago I a row sole for 000 guineas, two heifer? for I 3i5 guineas each and a bull for 400 guineas. | Ihe bull to be offered at Palmerston next 5 week is also anticipated to make a high g j price by enthusiasts. For tin* first time, Mr H I Liggms also offering for sale, female stock I from, fils herd; as many of these arc by this; p 1 stce or in calf in him limy should bring high II prices. Purchasing orders by telegram have become rather popular at this sale and | Messrs- Dalgety and Co., the selling agents, ’ are prepared to act for clients on receipt of such advice through their local office. The article in Thursday's Times relating to the action of the (ilobe newspaper in New York in taking so active a part in I lie n enterprise of creating a market and a good | iiiipiT.-siou for New Zealand iami) in New N l York City would come as a pleasant sursa." prise to stock raisers. While this action may not have an immediate material effect on the moat position here, its possibilities m | are very great. Fnterprises of the sort are not uncommon with big American papers which have unlimited capital behind them, rj A wise people cannot remain indifferent |to th“ importance of dairying. \S hether j it is realised or not, dairying is the founda- ' tinn of human welfare and of permanent J agriculture. The great nations ol the I earth, those that have a strong and a p-- | sourreful people, are producers and eon i sinners of dairy products. Milk is tin- mo.t 'vital food to health, growth and develop. meat. The dairy cow provides an easy way j to keep our lands fertile and productive. 1 The strength and progress ol a nation lies i within its soil and its intelligent-' develop- | ment. We have in the cow a creature that produces the most nutritious and important food and sustains a fertile soil. No oilier ‘animal of the farm contributes so much to l the welfare and happiness of man. Phe is lof necessity eternal. Hoards Dairyman, j The openness of the winter being at prei sent expressed is inclined to exercise an i upward tendency in the stock market. The i outlook for feed, is now viewed with little i unconcern by the farming friur-mity. -lloldI ers (if store stock may ia-w look for an improving market. Fairy ce.'tle are the . one safe holding at prc--i.ni and very high I , price., are anticipated in the spring. !The Romney Marsh Sheep Breeders’ A-'-I sedation will hold the annual meeting at ; Palmerston North on June 2.-th. Ihe rc- ! port on the year's operations shows that the ! income for the twelve months exceeded the ’ expenditure !>y £l.>2 -e 4d. while the 8 : amount of accumulated funds oi the A-si- | elation stands at 111613 12s ,'d. Ihe mem!l j bership has largely inerea-ed (luring tne I past vciir, there now being -Ji registered i owners entered in the ! volume <d the 1 Flock Rook. The Council t- in the position 1 to state that for the Hist time in the hi- ! torv of stud sheep breeding in New Zealand : all Ihe resistCted lloelts of thi.- breeil in the ; dominion arc to be found in one volume I The Council has had the question of over y j seas advertising before it during the year. f j There is no doubt that a large market is H ! open for Romney -'beep both m North tun jj j. -south America, but owing to lou present n l shipping iitil.c lll l l c-- in oot inning freights to l! ] the most suitable ports, d is inadvtsable I ' y plan any advertising scheme until the - ■ facilities for shipping sheep are available. ;- j As soon as any prospects in this direction ! are seen, the Conned will taKe the matter j lip and see that the New Zealand Romney ; jis well novel I i.-vd in the leading stock i journals ot Anu-nrii. ; The annual meei.ng of the N.Z. Ilerej; ford Cattle <-dcr.’ A-so-iation wtli be i held in I’a.hm-i-s-mii North on J\mt' 23rd, | during Chow W--ek. Tm- report on the ;* year’s operations .--.at as that the revenue if | exceeded the expcndil tire by '.120 S, ho. ? i and the accun; uiatei] funds of the as-ocia-r | tion td March 3!sf were 21303 Ids. l;v----j j number id regr-p ia'■ nerds now - : !'*nds at ; 1120. During the pa-a year th'Te It ad been £ J several large sale- ot Hereford stud cattF, : ! mid at one of the.-e an Australasian record f wit, reached m the price realised for a regis- \ tried bull. The hot Herd Hook published I i Volume XXI ■ contained an entry of 671 f buffs and 2339 cows and heifers. The tm- [ lowing volume was bemg printed. Entries f W H-e now being received for Volume 1 XX!!I. Tiie Council had under considera- ! tion during the year ihe question of .idtcts | rising their cattle in overseas mantels, and \ i a stl’o (-oininil lee vra.- set up to speeiall> f I deal wilh this matter, but owing to lack of j } shipping facilities it had been impossible r> I Intake a start with a scheme. However, as I i *OO,ll as sp-i-e was available, a commeneeI Intent would In- made to bring the linnj I fords of the dominion to the notice of ! I breeders in North and South America, j j Auchenbraitt Toreador. a four-year n;d I Ayrshire sire, imported from Scotland by I Alt a Crest Farms (an American stud cont- ; patty t. wtt.- sold on March 30. 1920. to , Captain A. Henry Higginson. Smith Lincoln. [ Mass.., for n new world record price of I £300!) The previous record [trice for an I Ayrshire was V7BO guineas (9078.00 dollars!, paid for Hobsland Mendel, a yearling, | sold at the Hobsland side In Seolland a lew , weeks before. I Tho :ipproriation <>f V riosian catilc I in Great Britain is shown by the fact that during the present year 1893 ol_ British 1 Friesian cattle have been .-old by pirftlic auction for an aggregate of £320,600 11s 6d, nr ► :an average of £174 5s 5d each. This rotn--1 (tare,, very favourably with the sales m 10IS, i when 031 head sold for ait average of £l4l i Is S;l. and in 1017 when 1002 averaged s;i : £lO3 7s 5:1. . .

; Thr- Can f ('fhiiry A. :ind P. Association intoiul holding a Bull Fair and sale of stud in Christchnreh during Grand National week. Liberal prizes will he offered in the competition classes and every breed of stork will he entered for. All stock entered must he regi.-tered in the recog- : nised stud hooks of the various breeds. , Mr 11. T. McKenzie. Hairy Supervisor in J the X’ictorian Government service, recently ' visited Hcnniark, and among tlte good i things he saw there were the following; ! The Bull Clubs and Control Societies work i hand-in-hand, their aim being the improvement and development of dairy cattle by ■ purchasing bulls of a recognised breeding strain, and running them with the best : cows. In this way the improvement of i Hairy cattle, instead of being restricted to the big breeders, who can afford to buy the : best, sires, is shared by the smallest fanner, who hits his cows served by the very Lest bulls available through the Bull Club. In . 1111S there were 950 such clubs, owning | 1050 bulls, with 25,000 members, in posI session of 250,000 rows. No bull belonging ■ to the dairy - type can get a prize at a Dani jsh show unless his dam’s record is known. | In the show catalogue the female ancestors records are furnished., and the bulls judged from three different standpoints, \iz.. (1; The animal itself; (2) the records of j his female ancestors; (3) the pedigree. In

A NEW CLOVER. FRIESIAN STOCK SALE. BY “HARVESTER.”

some classes the bull is judged on his pro geny.-

.lust completed at Riverton, S.A , the largest; stack of liny vet built in Australia. It contains 1350 lons of fodder, and is 170 yards long.

Owing to the favourable outlook for the dairying industry, the prices of suitable lands continue to soar in Australia. Stock are also selling at high prices. Farmers in Australia are taking a vote as to the pastoralists’ attitude regarding another Imperial wood pool. In t’v absence of anything definite as to what Great Bri tain is going to do about her sixty million sterling profit, the tendency is to adopt a lone hand policy. According to Mr Sidney Kidman, “the Cattle King" of Australia, the Commonwealth likely be able lor some time to come to send more meat to Great Britain than that country can make use of.

To further the interest in herd testing, the South Auckland District Committee ol the Friesian Breeder.-’ Association arranged with a milking machine company to place on exhibition at the Waikato Winter Show a milking plaid titled up for herti testing with all the necessary appliances.

A fresh record for a female of any breed in any country we.s recently paid for a 'British Friesian. This information was conveyed to il-e members who attended the annual meeting of the British Friesian Cattle Society. The price paid was; 6000 guineas. How deficient we are in improving our dairy herds is well exemplified by the following: -The Pembrokeshire War Agricultural Kxccutive Committee is circulating a communication among other committees in which it staies that, having considered measures for the improvement of live stock, with special reference to horned cattle, it has unanimously declared in favour of the compul.-ory elimination of mongrel sires by legislation, on the lines recently taken by |l|o Ministry of Agriculture with regard to stallions. It. is suggested that every bull owner should be obliged to submit his animals in examination by a county panel of three judges, and that all bulls should be branded as pas ed or not passed for breeding. (hv;ierg.,would lie compelled to dispose of the latter. In the committee's opinion such action is necessary in view of the fact that the good work done by hull societies and pedigree bull- is continually frustrated bv ihe pre.-enee of mongrel animals on other farms. Ton many fanners and small holder.-: grudged the higher fee and (.referred in use an inferior bull, whose services could In- obtained for a nominal consideration. A new herd sire has been lately purchased for the Garlowrie stud of Mr R. K. Macdonald, of Edendale. This breeder, after inspecting various North Island studs, decided that he could not do better than acquire a bull from another Southern Invader, so lie made his -election from the Cordyline herd of Mr G. Aitcheson, one of the mo-1 noted milk-record herds south of the line, as eleven of the females in the herd. aU but one of which was bred at Cordyline, have averaged under test 17,399 lb of milk and 610.2('ih of butter-fat. The bull pi;ichased by Mr Macdonald is Aurora !)e Iv l Star, now rising two year- old. His dam is Aurora He Kol, a splendid type of cow, which made a record of 15,25G1b of milk and 597.45‘b of fat as a three-year-old. She is a daughter of Nazli He Kol (ten F.G.R. daughter-, seven of which have averag'd a production of ti11.471h of fat), and which is also full brother to Paul Pietertie,

sire of West mere Princess Pietertje, 9391b of f:o, etc. The sire of Aurora De Kol Btar is ('onlyline Hero, which is by the Kaiser, and out of Gladys H. the latter having a credit of 15,788.251b of milk and l')l4ib of fat in a period of 31)4 days. Gladys H, like Aurora Do Kol, is by Nazli De Kol, so that Mr Macdonald's young sire has a double infusion of this very valuable blood. He -imuld throw verv good stock when mated to Friesland Tirania. 7061b ot fat (the high- ( U producer yet tested in Southland:, and her de-ceml.mls in the Carlowrie stud.

"A cl.-.vcr that will bold it> own with I>;i>p:ii;i-;, lhat will carry four or five head of .‘•tuck per acre during the growing sea-,-on, that is eaten so greedily as to cause bloating in half an hour, that will outstrip any clover yet known, in vigour of growth on wet .-oils, and that appears to be equally palatable at any stage of its growth,” such is ;he description which Mr K. Hreakwell, H,A , H>r,, agro.-tologisi. gives in the current issue of the Agricultural Gazette, of a new (odder idani recently brought to light. This clmcr, it appear.-, is now well established on the low lying situations at Fullerton F.ne, near Newcastle. It was originallv ob-erved and was first fostered by Mr ,1. 1(. Shearman, a dairyman in that locality, who First noticed it about IS!)/. It was liven a small plant, running for a dtsI n/e of about tun. on the edge of a small drain or gutter that required cleansing at intervals. This drain ran through some lucerne, and the hind not being worked, tin' voting plant, which would otherwise have been destroyed, was allowed to spread. The growth was so vigorous that it aroused Vr Shearman's curiosity, and he often inspected the plant, which soon grow along the drain for a distance of 20ft., and blocked. the water from running. The clover had then to be shovelled out. and was put in a grazing paddock, where it was expected that tiie cattle, by cont: nuott.-ly eating it down, would kill it. In.-trad of this, it grew rapidly, and ultimately killed out most of the other plant.s as it spread over the ground. This process took about ten years before Mr Shearman discovered that he had a clover really worth caring for. Me then began to plan) it a- fast as possible, and now has about 12 acres fully covered. Kaeh year he makes a lot of hay of exceptionally good quality. So far he has found no seed. Mr Breakwell says that at lir.-t sight the new plant would pass for strawberry clover, but the two have been grown side by side for some time, Irot.h at Fullerton Gove and at the Hotanic Gardens, and on examination some striking comparisons are revealed. Under similar conditions the new arrival, which has been named Shearman’s Glover, spreads throe times as quickly as strawberry clover, and produces fully six times the quantity of feed. While closely allied to strawberry clover, it is considered sufficiently individual to be classified as a distinct variety. Its general habit, such as barrenness in setting seed and aggressiveness in growth, and its original discovery and development f»om a single plant suggest- that it has resulted from a cross- between two clovers perhaps strawberry and white, or strawberry and red, or even white and red. A close study of the available literature of the world’s clovers together with an examination of the numerous different clover plants in the herbarium of the Hotanic Gardens, have revealed no similar clover, and for the present it has been decided to name it after its discoverer. It should, of course, he remembered that many of the Fullerton soils in which this clover thrives arc marshy and slightly saline, and it will be ncccu-arv to conduct experiments on more normal soils before it can be recommended for them. Hut there are wide stretches of saline soils in many places, and for these the new clover can be recommended, particularly as under such conditions it is generally very difficult to get any other plant, to grow. On the light sandy soils at the Botanic Gardens it has done very well but it has been noticed that a good supply of moisture is essential to keep it growing vigorously. The clover is partial to heat if grown under moist conditions; on the other hand it is not killed by frosts (hough in winter it is dormant. As the clover has not up to the present produced seed, root-planting has to be* resorted to. The growth is usually so vigorous that little difficulty is encountered in establish-

ing it. From a dozen small mots placed in the Botanic Gardens ten months ago j there has spread a plot of 30 square yards in extent, forming a dense mat. j pears to be the best time for planting. The t discovery is an interesting illustration of what close observation by interested farm- ; ers can do in noting abnormal growths. The I original plant might easily have been do- j stroyed and it is quite possible that many j other equally valuable “sports'’ have re- | mained unobserved and neglected. Many j noteworthy additions to our varieties of ) economic plains have resulted from th? j work of highly trained plant-breeders and I specialists at least as many have origin- | kted as natural crosses, or even as hybrids I in the field, and it has been left to fanners to develop their possibilities. Ihe old question, “would you advise me to start- into the purebred dairy cattle business?’’ is being asked as frequently these limes as ever before, and is receiving just as many negative replies as formerly. There are so npuiy factors which enter into the problem that one has to study the question irom every angle. Good purebred cattle of either sex arc selling for such good prices now that men who have proven themselves successful with grade stock cannot afford to continue without purebred?. We all know of certain grade herds making more i money for the owners than some purebred herds in the same locality, but every community has examples of men in the purebred business who never should have invested money in live -stock. The most economical and the most satisfactory way lor the average farmer to start into purebred? i? to purchase good female? to start with. Care should be taken to see that they are good. They should be healthy, of the proper type, and either proven producers or with proven ancestors. It is better to have only one good cow than several medium animals. A comparatively small outlay is nece.s--.ary when starting in (bis manner. It is remarkable how quickly a herd can be built up from a few foundation cows. The dairy herd on the Agassiz -experimental Farm was started by (he purI chase in December. 1911, of twenty-eight grade cows and the following year three purebred cows. Then in the fall of 1915 two purebred heifer calves and the next year a pair of two year old heifers, also purebred, were purchased. To-day there are forty !wo purtbred females in the herd, including the above and their descendants. As the purebred herd increased in size we have gradually decreased the number of grades until at present only twenty-one arc on hand. A yearly comparison has been made during the last three years of the five most profit able purebred cows ami the five most profitable grade cows. In each instance the purebreds have been the more successful from a commercial standpoint. On the average the purebreds produced 4470 pounds more milk and 153 pounds more fat [>er cow per annum, and yielded an average profit over feed cost of 27.(34 dollars more per row than the grades. After a purebred herd reaches a suit able size the most mono*.- is made by selling the surplus stork for breeding purposes. The Holstein bull, Inka Sylvia Beets Post-h (55031 was used as senior sire in the Agassiz herd from December, 1010, to July. 19 IS. From his service during that period fifteen grade and twelve 'purebred females were raised and are. in the herd at the present time. Putting the very topmost value on the fifteen grade heifers they are worth 1,8(5.000 dollars, while the dozen purebred heifers tire worth j ust about twice that amount, yet they cost no more to raise than the grade*;. The purebred male calves lorn in the herd during the same period were sold for 10,000 dollars each up. while the grade bulls were sold for veal. Not only is it more profitable to produce purebred rattle than grades, under .-tillable conditions, but the pleasure and interest are much greater.W. H. Hieks, Superintendent. Experimental Farm. Agassiz, British Columbia.

In the "Journal of Heredity'’ there, is an interesting account of the work being done at the Svaluf Feed Station in Sweueu. It is by Mr Witte, Director ot the borage Flam S-cction oi the Swedish Seed Association. The subject of the article is "Breeding Timothy id Svalot.” Timothy grass lias not taken the same place in New Zealand as man}' otner ot lire grasses, lull the careful investigation of the habits and growth of any grass (daces us in a better position to realise the great importance of proper strains in grass as in grain. As a j ule, to the farmer ryegrass is ryegrass, and cock-toot cocksfoot. When one sees tlic varieties of the one grass ue.seribed in the article, it brings viviuly before one the necessity of careful investigation and trials cf all the import ant grasses which we use, in order to be sure we have the Irest strains. In grain, Dr llilgendorf has shown what can lie done to improve even an old variety ut wheat by regeneration. This is being done everywhere now, and must have had an enormous effect upon the yield of grain in the world. A Canterbury farmer, for instance, informed us that the “Dreadnought" variety of wheat had made an enormous (inference in the yield in .South Canterbury. It is a fact, however, that the.-e big yielders are often short-lived in their uses. The. same process can, however, be cone over again by select.ion of a heavyyielding parent and continued selection unCl the result is again attained. Garton Bros, did this with thrir "Abundance” oat. and sent it out as "Regenerated Abundance." When we think ol the importance gras,--growing is to the Dominion (for probable SO per cent, of our land prows grass i, the breeding and improvement of grasses

is really more important than that ot grain. Already Mr Hill, at Mmuuahaki, took up the study of two special grasses—cocksfoot and prairie grass- and the difference of the strains was most remarkable. He loft for the war. and at Wcraroa Mr Beverley continued to grow them; but here again sometiling more L- wanted. When one strain of, say, cocksfoot, is found to he an improvement on others, seed from the (dot should be tried on, say an acre and tested in the field, to see whether the same results are shown from the larger area. If this is successful, the same process could be continued and a .--train of cocksfoot sent out to the public so a- to increase the growth of grass on the farms. Of course tanners will understand that if the yields are increased, the land must be kepi in good heart, cither by a process of judicious rotation, green manuring, or assisted by topdressing ; for bigger yields mean that more food has been extracted from the soil and must be replaced, or the yield will go hack. We hope to see this question thoroughly taken up at one of the experimental stations and the Bvalof work carried out. We understand that tlv- Otago Repatriation Board have started on a scheme to train relumed soldiers in seed-growing and seed select ion. There is wide scojie for such reproductive work, and for semi-distillled soldier.' Ihe work should be both suitable and congenial. We understand that negotiations are well forward, and a start will shortly be made. Besides being a practical assistance to the soldiers, it may be the beginning of a new rural industry, for there is no reason why this country should net lie an exporter of both grass and cereal seeds. (Advocate. >

At the Home Farm. Badminton, Giou'-e----fershire, Messrs John Thornton and Co. sold Mr Marry Butler's herd of purebred Shorthorn', chiefly of the best Scottish blood. Altogether 46 head of cattle realised £17,668. averaging £384 10/- each. Thirtyseven cows and heifers realised £16,086 and nine hulls £1582. Some high prices were paid for (he be.st animals, the best being 2000 guineas, given by the lion. Claude Portman, Pi rat fnnrl-on-Avnn, for a five-year-eld cow Fairlawne Broadhooks the Sixth, Mr Archibald Nettlefold. of Wrotham, Kent, bought (hr heifer Lavender of Sittyton for 1700 guineas and Badminton Lavender for 1200 guineas.