VALUABLE IMPORTATIONS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 18, 20 January 1913, Page 3

VALUABLE IMPORTATIONS.

GUERNSEY CATTLE FOR CANTERBURY. Air Geo. Gould lias purchased in England a number of purebred .dairy cattle of the famous Guernsey breed, and in connection therewith he writes to a friend in Christchurch as follows:—“I have just shipped, after many delays owing to the foot-and-mouth. disease, six young Guernsey cattle per s.s. Kaikoura. There are four heifers from thirteen months to two and a half years old, all but the youngest in calf to bulls of the most fashionable pedigrees, and two rising yearling bulls both from cows yielding over 1000 gallons per annum of milk, averaging about 5 per cent, butterfat. They are from the herds of Sir Everard Hambro and Air F. PrattBarlow, both well-known breeders. I was fortunate in getting a Golden Cherry heifer, as this line has probably produced more winners both in the prize-ring and butter tests than any other in England. The old cow herself took the first prize again this year at the London Dairy Show, while another of her progeny is probably the best Guernsey cow in England to-day. Another heifer from Sir E. Hambro is Hayes Olive 6th, the Olives also being quite in the front rank. One of the young bulls is out of Dewdrop 2nd of the Park, who gave 55.801 b of milk at the Guildford Show, as well as gaining third prize in the ring amongst about twenty, and the other is by Goldseeker, the champion bull of England for two years past, recently sold to America, it is said, for £2OOO, out of Lady Flora 3rd, a 1000-gallon cow and a good winner in the show ring.

The breed lias made tremendous strides both in England and America during the past five years. Up till then ono seldom saw more than one or two exhibits at the leading shovvs; in fact I can remember when tliere was only one regular exhibitor. But now the Guernseys rival the Jerseys in numbers at the principal shows in the South Counties, and the English Guernsey Herd Book contains about 250 registered herds. I have no doubt that under the influence of show-ring competition and selection the breed is making, and will continue to make, steady improvement, as I am informed that until recent times the Guernsey breeders were very casual in their methods. There is little to choose either in colour, quality, or quantity between the produce of Jerseys and Guernseys, but I think the latter were the most generally useful breed, being larger and not quite so refined. Their colour, varying from light yellow and to red andj white, is most attractive to me, and they cross most excellently with Shorthorns. Sir Henry Leonard, of Wickham Court, the late owner of Goldseeker, has one of the best herds in Great Britain, and to give you an idea of what may be expected of a good Guernsey cow, I will give you the returns from some of his best cows in 1910 Per cent. No. of i Name. Gals. fat calves. Lady 88 ... 1137.8 5.85 7th Lady 89 ... 1020.6 4.55 sth i Wickham Fancy 1130.9 5.10 2nd , Wickham May ... 903 5.25 Ist j Wickham Dairymaid 810 5.10 Ist j These returns from only rnedium-siz- ■ ed cattle will, 1 am sure, convince you that the best of the breed are very good indeed, while I am satis* tied that the average Guernsey is quite a useful animal. One point in which they are very much superior to the average Jersey is in their fine sized and well placed teats, while the rich, butter-coloured skin which is found in many of the best Jerseys is still more a feature of the Guernseys. For all tilts, I think it will lie a long time before 1 got anything to beat, or perhaps to equal, the good old Sunflower strain of the Jerseys, which are now the property of Mr Watson, of Tai Tapu. 1 do hope they arrive safely, and may prove worthy of being the pioneers of the breed in New Zealand. I enclose three photos of the breed, which are by no means

flattering, especially of the cows. The bulls, in any case, are plain-headed beasts, which no one would keep for ornament only, but when you do get a really good Guernsey cow I think she is just about the perfection of what a dairy cow should be.”—Christchurch Press.