HOLSTEIN FRIESIANS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 26, 20 June 1914, Page 3

HOLSTEIN FRIESIANS.

NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION. POITLAKISLXt; Till: "BLACK AND WHITES.'' The annual meeting of the New Zealand ITolstcin-Fresian Breeders' Association was held at Palmerston North on Wednesday, Mr Newton King presiding u good attendance of members. Dealing with last year's progress the report stated that it was of substantial order. During the year (the fourth of its existence) the Association had enrolled forty-eight new members, the total now standing at 2(14. This was very gratifying, as it proved clearly that the popularity of the Holstein-Fresians was ever on the increase, ar/d a more gratifying point was that the spread was not confined to one locality, but extended equally over the Dominion. A strong financial position was also reported. To improve the standard of the breed the council had pursued the policy of hardening the conditions of entry for the herd hook, so as to gradually improve the standard of the breed" and thus eventually to get a herd book containing only animals of the highest type and breeding. A factor which would greatly help to bring out the great qualities and worth the "black and whites' and still further popularise the breed was the semi-official testingwhich the association was materially instrumental in getting the Department of Agriculture to inaugurate. Some of the records put up were highly creditable. The average butter-fat produci tion of the dairy cows of the Dominion was under 1801b. per annum, so it was extremely gratifying to find two-year-old H'olstein heifers producing 5001b. of fat and over IS.OOOIhs. of milk, three-year-olds 6501bs fat, and 18,0001b milk, mature cows. over.66olb fat and 20,000 lb. milk. This proved they were on the right road to improve the dairy herds of the country. The dairy industry was making rapid strides and there wits ever reason for saying that there was a great future before the breeders of Holstein-Fresians. The report concluded by referring to the donation :of a silver cup from Mr Liggins, treasurer to the Association, for competitors amongst the breed, a silver cup from Mr Newton King, and the gold medal from Mr H. ■Leonard for his first two-year ''heifer' putting up over 5001b butter-fat under the semi-official test. ,

Tlie chairman, in moving the adoption of the report, congratulated the Association on its progress during the year. He thought they nil realised now that the Ilolsteinhued had ceased'to be n joke, and this class of cow 'had to ibe taken seriously. The association had done its share in getting the semi-offic-ial test carried out by the Government, and it was turning out marvellously well. This was not only of benefit to the TTolstein breed, but to all breeds of dairy cattle, for hy testing they would raise the standard of production in New Zealand, and they all knew that it should he raised very considerably. It seemed to him absurd that 1801b should he the output of the cows in the conntry, when they had Holsteins producing up to GOO and 7001b. This was not confined to one or two cows,'for there were a considerable number that had reached that standard, and it was most gratifying to breeders. Some exception had been taken to certain things the council of the association had done relative to the appendix and color marking. When the association'"was started there were cattle admitted to the stud book that would not lie accepted now, for they were trying to make the book worthy of the breed. They did not want to be widrnly harsh, and had stretched a point in some cases, but now the association was hardening: up the conditions for entry. The association had decided to give medals in future, and in" fact take more progressive steps in the way of giving prizes at agricultural shows on ■a larger scale than formerly. The special prizes the association was going to give for milking records would, he thought, help to popularise the breed, and • give people an idea of what tbis class of cow can do.

[Replying to a question, Mr McKenzie (secretary.) said that on December : 91«i in each year four medals would he given for the two, three, and four-year-old cows and matured cows making the best record to that rate in the semiofficial test for the preceding twelve months.

The report and balance-sheet were adopted. t U was decided to ask the various breeders' societies to co-operate with the Holstein Society in an endeavour to get the Government to carry pedigree stock at half rates on the railways. air Galahan stated that the Government testers, when testing the Government herd, had to to look after forty cows at once. This was wrong, for one tester could not certify the production from each individual cow. The chairman t-viid ho would enquire from Mr Cuddie, of the Agricultural Department, to see if this was the actual practice. The election of officers resulted.— Patron, Mr J. C. N. Grigg (Canterbury); president, Mr Newton King (New Plymouth) ; vice-presidents, Messrs "W. I. Lovelock (Palmerston North); and E. C. Banks (Waikato); treasurer, Mr R. Liggins (Tokomaru); auditor, Mr P. L. Sim, (Palmerston North); district committees, the same as the previous year, with the addition of Mr Marehbanks to the Taranaki committee.