THE JERSEY COW.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 March 1921, Page 8

THE JERSEY COW.

QUALITIES TO LOOK FOR. DEMONSTRATION AT STRATFORD. A particularly interesting and instructive demonstration was held under the auspices of the Stratford branch of the New Zealand Jersey Breeders’ Association on Air. W. Pollock’s farm, Kahouri Road, Stratford, yesterday. Fully 250 farmers with their wives and families were present and in the afternoofi about 75 of the senior pupils from the Stratford School also attended. Mr. H. E. B. Watson, of Canterbury, who has achieved considerable success gs a judge and breeder of dairy cattle, was the demonstrator, and he made uise of Mr. Pollock’s splendid herd of Jerseys in order to demonstrate to the gathering the points to look for in selecting jersey stock. Prior to commencing the demonstration, Mr. F. Ranford, president of the Stratford branch, extended a welcome to Air. Watson, who he said had been chosen by the council of the J.B.A. to visit different parts of the Dominion, free of any charge, and explain to all who were interested the good points to look for in a Jersey cow. Air. Ranford. also expressed his great pleasure at seeing so many present, and remarked that it indicated that dairy farmers were now realising more than ever that good stock was essential to successful farming, and that they must take advantage of every opportunity to increase their knowledge.

Air. Watson said he did not claim to be an authority, but he hoped to be able to give them a few hints which would be beneficial to breeders or anyone starting in dairying. Taking Air. Pollock’s “Belvedere Bilbery,” a cow with a splendid record of show successes, as the animal most suited for his purpose, Air. Watson then commenced to detail the points of greatest importance. Commencing with constitution, he said that the cow with high distended nostrils which could take any amount of air into the lungs was the most suitable, and in order to tell if the lungs were good they should look for a well sprung fore rib with plenty of depth from the top of the shoulder to the floor of the chest. To judge capacity, they must turn to the head and look for a broad, strong jaw with firm muscular tips and a broad, strong un-der-jaw,. with the back ribs well sprung and showing good depth. A slab-sided cow was not worth bothering about. If they got length and depth and long, well-Sprung ribs, the cow showed she had capacity for the food she would eat. A good digestion was another important matter, and to tell if a cow had this the -,£kin should be thin, soft and pliable. a’tsow was not doing well if the skin was hard and wiry. Vitality and good nervous or dairy temperament were other important points to look for. Languid cows were not good producers, and they should look for the cow with the large, prominent yet placid eye, and broad in the forehead. I'here should be no surplus fat on the cow putting a big quantity of milk into the bucket. The vertibrae should be found rising between the shoulders, prominent and well sera ted in the best cows. If she was also clean across the hip bones and the pin bones she would he sure to be a good milker. ‘•The Jersey cow has been bred for nothing else but dairy purposes and should not carry any surplus fat,” explained Air. Watson. Dealing with the udder, he said the veins running across the vessel should be well developed, and the mamary or milk veins were very necessary. These latter were pronounced on large producers but were not to be seen on beef a&mals. Some judges said the veins did not count, but he had always found them well-develop-ed on good producers. If the veins and milk wells did not count, why, he asked, were they there. Where more than two milk veins were found the cow was a large producer. The milk well at the end of the vein should be large enough to put the thumb into in a good cow. Summing up the points he had mentioned, Air. Watson said they should look for constitution, capacity and good digestive powers, dairy temperament and large milk wells at the end of the milk veins, in order to find a good producer. Tue vessel, explained Mr. Watson, should be highly caught behind, well hung out past the thighs, curved in a half-moon shape right across the abdomen and with a fine floor to it. Cows should also have a good length of teats, and he liked to see them about 2% inches long and with a flat point. They did not want a meaty vessel or too pendulate a vessel. The legs should be fine in the bone, Air. Watson explaining that very rarely did they find a good producer with- heavy boned legs. The tail shoold be thin—it did not matter whether it i eached the hock or not as long as it was nice and thin. t

Mr. Watson remarked that while it was possible to have a good dairy cow without having a good Jersey cow, it was impossible to have a g>od Jersey cow without having a good dairy cow, because the Jersey was a dairy cow only. Dealing with other points abou>t the animal he was demonstrating on, he said that the horns should be turned and the cow should have a mediumear, not too high. He liked to ißee a long, thin, clean not a bull neck, nor a neck set low together with a low head. They had to consider style awd characters in a show anima! The top line of the body should be turned out as straight as possible, and the underline was equally of importance and should he carried from the centre of the body, gradually tapering to the point of the brisket and then clear to the throat line. He did not lik? to see a cow weak in behind the shoulders. At the conclusion of his remarks Air Watson answered a number or questions and then took three eows, which he judged on t} pe. After the hinrlieon adjournment, Mr. Watson fiemonstn ted with. Jlr. Tippins’ 2-year-old heifer, for the benefit of the sciiool children. He also explained the good points of Air. Polh'-k.? yearling bull. ‘‘Pecuarious,” which has won in the yearling classes at the Stratford, •Hawera and New Plymouth shows. Tn the ring with two and three-year-old hulls, Mr. Watson, as well as the popular vote of those present, placed this animal first. Mr. Watson, during the afternoon, pointed out the fallacy of the score card system, maintaining that in using the score and card no allowance whs made for breed, character, style and quality, and the older animals usually got the advantage over younger and better animals. The judging of the children war, particularly good, their decisions, in most eases comparing with those made by Air. Watson. In addition to the stock exhibited “y Air. Pollock, Alessrs. E. Tinnell. S. GadTlMißfe A. H. Hqgectt

lent valuable stock for judging purposes. At the conclusion of the demonstration, votes of thanks were accorded to Mr. Watson for his able address, t.o the ladies for their work in providing luncheon find afternoon tea, to the exhibitors of stick, to Mr. Pollock for lending his farm for the demonstration, and to the, car owners who assisted in bringing the children tft the grounds. Mr. C. of z the Friesian Breeders' Association, expressed the thanks of the visitors for the invitation extended—to them to be present.