AN EXPLANATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 September 1918, Page 2

AN EXPLANATION.

To the Editor. Sir,—'Onlooker," in yours of the 10th', is evidently referring to a line of yearlings sold by me and having been re- j quested to reply to ''Onlooker," with re- ! luctanco I will endeavor to do so. Be- i fore doing so I would say I have no de- j sire to try and boost either treed of cattle mentioned at the expense of the other, so will eonline myself to plain facts, all of which. 1 can substantiate. "Onlooker's" heading is a question which | 'ho himself endeavors to answer. His | answer is wrong, as is also the implication that the Jersey had not been equally as well fed as the Holsteina during the first four months of their lives. A few i of the line sold were cross-bred Holsteins I bought; the balance I bred. For comparison I will quote the revenue for stock derived from twenty cows, half of which I bred to a Holstein bull and half to a registered Jersey. AH the calves ran together from birth to date of sal*!. They received equal quantity of new milk to start on. Later th-'v each received equal quantities < liny mixed with meal. The difference ~l'iee being caused by the Holsteins having done the best, which they always will do. especially during a severe winter like the last. Another factor bearing on the difference in price is that the Holstein heifer is capable of either making a profitable dairy cow or a beast as will produce a good carcase of beef of the best, quality at three years old, while the Jersey heifer from a farming point of view is not worth keeping unless wanted solely for dairying purposes. "Onlooker's" next, question, "Weren't those high priced calves weaned before December Ist V" They were not. Of the line sold a few were weaned in February, and as I had no pigs I fed the balance on whey until March, when they were all weaned, and all put on swedes together in April on which they were fed until sold. The revenue produced by the sale of stock was: Ten cows bred to the Holstein bull £fiO, ten cows bred to the Jersey £IS 15s, plus five calf skins at as each, leaving a balance of £4O, minus cost of grazing five extra talves for the time, in favor of the Holstein cross. "Onlook- ! cr" in hi 9 letter appears very erratic, :oing off at a tangent from the price of '•utile to cast a slur on the Scotch resident;-, of this district by stating they would "be pleased to save ninepence," a joke which is stale and in bad taste. At the present time when our very existence as a nation is at stake, no mere "Onlooker" should be left at large, as it is a time for all to work or fight, and instead uf "Onlooker" criticising and imputing meanness to proved and liberal workers in the Empire's cause, he should set an example as a worker and be a liberal contributor to any fund raised in aid of the brave lads fighting for us ( and not by innuendo try and tarnish the reputation of Scotchmen here, some of whom were the first to volunteer for service and have since returned wounded and broken in health. Another Scotch family has been first in giving money, time and labor to raise funds for every patriotic effort, as well as one son being among the first to lay down his life on Gallipoli. Anofher has been nearly three years on active service, while the third son on attaining military age in a month or so is going into camp. It is no wonder "Onlooker" shelters under a nom de plume when he is so debased as to impute meanness to people whose liberality and patriotism have been as great as that of the Scotch residents of this district, and there is nac doot if ever he visits here and lets his tongue run as freely as his pen lie will no go far doon the valley withoot gettin a well-deserved doot alangside o his lug by some Scotchman for his impudence.—l am, etc., H. A. HUNT. Pukcngahu, 21st Sept. 1018.