JERSEY BREEDERS' ASSOCIATION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 223, 14 January 1911, Page 3

JERSEY BREEDERS' ASSOCIATION

NORTH TARAXAKI BRANCH. A meeting of the North Taranaki branch of the Xew Zealand Jersey Breeders' Association was held in Griffiths and Cn.'s buildings yesterday, and was attended by Messrs A. H. Halcoinbe (president), C. Clarke, W. J. 15, Pa ton, P. W. Cornwall, R. F. Cornv.,tl, P. Luxton, H. Lepper, H. C. Sampson, P. H. E. Surrey, ana the lion. sec. (Mr. E. Griffiths.)

BRANDING. A circular from the Council contained the following recommendation in accordance with the resolution adopted at the annual meeting at New Plymouth:—Each breeder must register a lire brand to be used on every animal. Each animal to be Are branded with a consecutive number corresponding to tho breeder's private herd book number. Every animal shall be earmarked, such mark ,to be annually determined by the council. No entry shall be accepted for registration in future volumes of the New Zealand Jersey Herd Book unless the branding has been complied with to ensure identification., Opinions of members were divided as to" the best method of branding. Some favored branding on the rump instead of on the neck, and others advocated tattooing, it being stated that the tattoo had solved the difficulty in parts of America. One member who is always successful in getting good brands, stilted that he first removed the hair from the part to be branded and had his iron at a white heat; "on and off" was all that was required, and thus the animal had little chance of spoiling the mark by moving at the critical time. It was resolved that earmarking was not necessary, branding alone being sufficient.

BY-LAWS. The council propose tile following herd by-iaw in consequence of the several new rules adopted at the annual meeting, particularly the one making it compulsory to register cattle within 12 months: "That the registration of transfer of all registered animals be compulsory; the vendor to be responsible for the recording of transfer and payment of fees; transfers to be recorded with the association within' sixty days otherwise the transfer will not be recognised; fee to be paid with transfer, from vendor to member Is, from vendor to non-member 2s. Acknowledgement of fees to be on the association's form and signed by and issued by the secretary, and to be handed to purchaser as confirmation of the transfer; the bylaw to take effect from June 30, 1911." Resolved that no application for entry in herd book be accepted unless dam be transferred in accordance witii above.

HERD BOOK NUMBERS. After the issue of volume 7 of the Herd Book, the council approved of the following: "In connection with the application to register pedigrees the procedure to be rearranged to permit the issue of herd book numbers to the owners prior to the publishing of the book, provided the pedigree be accepted." Resolved that numbers be only allowed to daughters of original cow. * SCORE-CARD JUDGING.

Mr. Paton said competition was becoming keener, and, as judges were not infallible, he considered they required something to guide them in their judgments. He mentioned that score-cards had been adopted in America, and he had seen in Scotland a ring of 64 animals all judged under this system. Each animal was judged on points, which were awarded separately by three judges; two animals were not in the ring at the same time and pitted against each other. From what he had seen of the judging in the Dominion it was not at all satisfactory—at least to everyone. The time was ripe for adopting some system of score-card. Mr. R. Cornwall remarked that something of the kind was adopted in Cliristchurch by the students in the judging competitions, and he had no doubt the score-card system would follow soon. Mr. Paton said that in poultry and other directions score-cards were used, and judging was by a standard; they were behind the times in not bringing such a thing into force. He proposed that score-cards be adopted in judging ca'ttle. Mr. Griffiths advocated getting further information as to the system (if there was one) in use in America and other places mentioned, so that the association might, perhaps, have even a better style initiated. After discussion, the following resolution, moved by Mr. Paton and seconded by Mr. R. Cornwall', was carried: "That the branch advocates judging cattle by a system of score-cards, and urge that the secretary of the association be requested to ask the associations of America, England, and Jersey Island whether the judging is clone in this way, and if so that sample cards be sent with schedules of points and also what their experience in regard to it has been and what would they recommend." RINGDOVE'S REGISTRATION.

It was resolved, on the motion ol Messrs. Lcpper and Clarke, that the secretary write the council stating that as the branch first objected to Ringdove's application for registration it wished to bear what the position is and the information available regarding it. THE SECRETARIAL WORK. Mr. Lepper said it was time each branch had a secretary of its own on a small salary. The association seemed to be hard to get at, and it would be. better for the members if they had one who was paid for his services. He not see that the correspondence should be tied up because the secretary did the work for the love of the game, He, was not referring to their own secretary, Mr. Griffiths (who had taken the work upon his own shoulders, and devoted a lot of his time to the branch's work), when he said the members would* get more from a paid secretary and would have more freedom in asking for information. He considered the association should pay the salaries. I Mi. Griffiths said that as far as he I was concerned the branch could do what

it liked in the matter. He said this without the slightest feeling, and just wished to clear the way for members if they desired to make any alteration. He also explained that he understood Mr. Upper's meaning perfectly, but he would on no account take the position of secretary as a paid official; yet he would do everything, as lie had tried to do in the past, to further the interests of the branch and the association. Mr. Paton's opinion, that "Mr. Griffiths has done more for the association than any man amongst us," was heartily endorsed by the meeting, and a vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Griffiths for his services in the. past.

A HERD REGISTER. A copy of the Herd Register was laid on the table. This is specially compiled for the use of owners, and is an obvious necessity to every breeder (whether of horses, cattle, sheep, or pigs), but partieularly useful to Jersey breeders, for whom it was published to meet enquiries. The book was c.0,-Mercd by the meeting to be very useful and valuable as a record, and five members at once instructed Mr. Griffiths to obtain copies, and it was stated that at least two of the other members were in possession of copies.