THE MAN ON THE LAND.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 11, 11 January 1913, Page 3

THE MAN ON THE LAND.

THE BETTER HALF OF THE HERD. INFLUENCE OF THE SIRE. A well-intentioned remark that heifer calves from poor milkers should not he raised, called forth some comments from “Hoard’s Dairyman,” which experience in can substantiate. Thus—“ Now, that depends altogether whether you have a strong, prepotent sire behind that heifer or not. Such a sire will often produce heavy milkers from low-producing mothers. Wo have had the experience of repeated instances of this kind. The cow, Sarah of Jefferson, though a purebred Guernsey, could not bo made to produce over 251 b of butter a year She was tired to the prepotent sire, Espanore 2nd, and produced the heifer, Bernhardt, that yielded 4011 b butterfat in her first milking period at two years of age. “This, with other facts derived from a study of eminent sires in our own herd, where we have bred every member of it but one bull and two cows, convinces us that the great and preponderating influence in shaping the character of the coming cow is the sire. There follows, then, this conclusion: A poor sire, poor cows; a good sire, good cows. The dominant influence of the sire is seen very clearly in the breeding of grade, herds. How often do we see this shown in the placing at the head of a mixed lot of very medium cow« a pure-bred bull. The resulting heifers in nine cases out of ten show the blood of the sire, and the improvement of their milking qualities over their scrub mothers also demonstrates it. “Keep right on with these heifers, breeding them and their descendants

to pure-bred sires in the same line, with constant weeding out of the inferior ones, and in a few years you liavo a herd of great producers at the pail. The great difficulty in this matter is that farmers, and many breeders even, do not value highly enough the importance of the sire. In making a selection by purchase, the over-ruling with them is not quality first and price next, but rather the reverse. “As farmers advance in their ability to produce cows that will respond most profitably to good feed and care, they will find that he great determining power at the outset lies in the prepotent breeding power of the sire. Of course, it is a somewhat difficult thing to always select such a sire, but a very good rule is to choose from those herds where the best breeding methods have been used, and where the breeder possesses pride and a high degree of conscience in hir work. With such men, a poor sire will never be sent out to lower their reputation, if they are aware of it.”

JERSEYS FOR TARANAKI. MORE PEDIGREE STOCK. Writing from the Hotel du Simplon, Geneva, Mr M. Hill has forwarded a contemporary particulars of the consignment of five Jersey cattle coming out for Mr J. R. Corrigan, of Hawera. “This consignment,” says Mr Hill, “should in time help to improve the dairy herds of New Zealand to a very great extent, as on both sire and dam , side every animal is full of the best strains of butter-fat producers we have in England. The following are the names and'pedigrees of the consignment:—Westwood Baron, 18 months old, sire Davenport;, and Butterfly 2nd, reserve champion

ctliu. uuiat ui ( r . i.at Suffolk show, 1912, reserve champion at Norfolk show, 1912, third prize at London Royal Dairy Show, 1912, won special prize for bull bred on best butter-fat producing lines. He descends on the sire’s side from Mon. Plaiser’s King, who won first prize at the. Royal Jersey Association Show, August, 1904, also that great cow, Ronzel’s Pet 11th, who won butterfat test at Royal Jersey Association Show, 1904, record 21b 14foz butterfat from 301 b milk in 24 hours, 154 days after calving. Also that great bull Eminent 2nd, who won first State’s prize of £SO shown with his progeny at the Royal Jersey Association Show, 1901 and 1902, also the Goddington purse of £25 at the May Show, 1902. He was afterwards exported to the United States of America, and sold for £2OOO. His dam, Butterfly' 2nd, won E.J.C. Society’s prize at Royal Cotinties’ Show, 1912; record, 21b 7£oz”bfttter-fat in a day from 361 b milk, 124 days aftei calving. ' , “Robin Tto'od, calved 1 June 12, 1911. Sire Britaiinich'S, dam La Robletter 9th. This hill, through His sire, descends fr l o’m' l such noted' animals as Noble of Oaklauds, who--was sold for £3OOO, and Lady Viola, who at twelve years of age was sold for £1400; also Golden Maid’s Prince, who is a son of the champion butter-fat cow Golden Maid, who was got by that great bull Golden Lad. From his dam’s side he descends from such noted but-ter-fat producers as Trial of Oaklands, Agatlia’s Flying Fox, Lord Wolseley, and Crown Princess. “Charming Valentino, Calved July 31, 19H; served by Westwood Baron. Sire Barrister’s Valentine, dkm Charm. This heifer is descended on the sire’s side from such noted but-ter-fat producers as Barrister and Chief Justice.

“Westwood Belle, calved August I, 1911. Sire Crown Prince, dam L’Anmone Belle. This heifer’s breeding is full of the best butter-fat strains both on sire and dam side. “Westwood Purity, calved July 21, 1911. Sire Crown Prince, dam Primrose Phyllis. This heifer won first prize at Sussex Show, second prize at Norfolk Show, and reserve champion at Essex Show in 1912. Like Westwood Belle, she claims Crown Prince as her sire.”