STOCK AND STOCK-RAISIHG.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1340, 1 February 1881, Page 3

STOCK AND STOCK-RAISIHG.

TnE above ia the title of a paper read by Mr Glyn before the members of the Opotiki Farmers' Club at one of their recent meetings : — Mu. Peesident, Vice-presi-dent, and Gentlemen — It is not my intention to-night to go very deeply into this subject, or yet to any great length, though it ia a subject on which a great deal might be said to advantage, but merely to make a few general remarks. To commence with, J am going to my a few worda with regard to she", a very important item in stock-raising. Everybody will, I think, admit the superiority of wellbred over inferior stock, and yet when the ! advantages of good stock am so patent, and co universally recognised, is it not a j little singular that so many farmers are backward in infusing the blood of improved breeds upon their iuferior animals. I think that it must be plain to everyone that such an improvement represents money value largely increased as time moves on. It also means results that are far more satisfactory in this branch of rural pursuits. It costs no more to keep a good animal than a bad one, and generally not so much — such certainly is the ease amongst cattle. It has, I believe, taken more than a century to bring shorthorn cattle to their present state of perfection, so that, gentlemen, we must not expect to make a very great alteration in our floe' a and herds in one year, or yet two, for it must be the work of time and patience. A very serious mistake, and one that is costly as a rule, is the policy of breeding downward — that is, from half-bred sires. It is a system that cannot be too severely condemned. In some rare instances the mischief may not at first be noticeable, as in a case where such a sire possesses in a marked degree the constitutional vigour and characteristics of Ins thoroughbred parent ; but the tendancy is bad, and what has been gained in the first cross will be lost in the next, in nine cases out of ten where this policy is puisued. It is the concentration of hereditary force possessed by pure-bred animals that rendered them pre-poteut in transmitting thencharacters to their offspriug when crossed on grade stock. This is one of the greatest advantages that result in breeding from pure-bred sires. Generally speaking, I thin < there are but two kinds of cattle much known ia New Zealand — these are the Shorthorns and the Herefords. Shorthorns, J have no doubt, are the most profitable class of the two ; they are far more generally used everywhere, and this would lead one to suppose in a great measure that they are. In some instances the Hereford cross may be the best, as on a rough run, where cattle are not much looked after, possibly not at all, as they do not become so wild as Shorthorns. The characteristics of early maturity, ease of fattening, certainly, I think, belong to the Shot thorn tribe, and have only been gained by long and peiNeveiing efforts. To make farming cattle pay, a steer should be ready for the market as beef when he is two years old, and you enn only make sure of that by having well bred cattle. To breed from stock at too eariy an age is a mistake, but well-bred heifers might, I thiuk, bo ' allowed to breed when two yoars old, if weil looked after from the time of their beintr cdlved, which would be an immense gam— the gain of a year. On looking through S'ephens' "Work on the Farm," kindly lent me by Dr. Reid, he says at one time there was a considerable amount of rivalry between the Shorthorus and Here- I fords, though ultimately the Shorthorns established their superiority. As far as milking goes, Shorthorns have always pio%'cd themselves the best and longest milkeis. Now, I will give you, in as few words as I can, a rough sketch of some of fhe principal points in a Shorthorn bull. To begin with, he should have a small head, good eye, fine white horn, well rounded ribs, ciesfc of the neck should be fine, and not humpy, as is often to bo seen in bulls ; hide loose, thick and soft, and the touch mellow, there should be no black marks round the eyes and nose, and a good constitution. An animal having these characteristics would, I think, be a puie Shorthorn bull. There are some points to be looked at in choosing cattle, the most important of which are the following, via. : — Colour and the quality of the hair and bkin ; the colour slfould be a decided one, and well marked, bkin soft, and covered with long, fine gloasy hair. If an animal has these qualities he will generally be found to have a good constitution, a kindly feeder, and fatten quickly. Roan is at the present time the most fashionable colour, and the way it has been arrived at, according to Stephen's, is this :— A dark red colour indicates haidiness, white, a delicacy of constitution ; so, <"O avoid the dullness o* red and a bad constitution, the two were combined, and a roan is the result. Up to a certain point breeding is easy enough, but when you have got a cross or two in a herd will show distinct and regular signs, but only by eradicating those animals showing the greatest signs of deviation from the type required, and choosing a snvi especially good in the points in which the herd are indiffeient, the wished for result will be •attained, and a satisfactory type fixed. The origin and characteristics of improved breeds of all the most useful animals attest this fact. Animals have been kept for many years in one locality by breeders who have made it their especial care to fix a desired type, having certain characteristics in common, and blending the offspring so that the desired traits have become hereditary. Differences from the type have only been eradicated by such careful breeding, and the present improved breeds, with their uniformity of characteristic and constancy of transmission are the result. With reward to pedigree, about which one oftentimes hears so muoh said, it is a most useful thing if looked at in the proper light. Pedigree is simply a guarantee that the qualities you see represented in an animal are permanent, and will be hereditary. I will give you, however, Stephen's definition of the term. He says, — " The real value of pedigree is not only quality itself, but ihe assurance of the permanence of quality." In another place he says, — " The merit of an animal does not consist in his pedigree ; pedigree is rather the assurance that as his good qualities have been inherited through many generations, so they are inherent in his race, and will descend unimpaired to a remote posterity." But he adds, "As every family must have a founder, and every pedigree a beginning, so there can be no objection to breeding from aa animal without pedigree, providing it bears Incontestable marks of pure blood, and provided ita progeny are not used as sires." The next matter 1 come to is that of weaning the cajiyes. , This is a very napessary land difficult matter to do successfully. The principal advantages are, that it allows the oows a better chance to improve their condition before the . next calving ; the calves also thrive better, in bulls ; and aLso, become cni^er. t Weaning* time, I take 1 1, is the mont ' critical period of a' beast's lifetime, for if a 'weaner suddenly" loses bis milk-flesh, it will take him a long time to recover it agaih,i ««4 the probability J* tba^p will make so good an animal, ' ' Calying "should commence about the begiiining x)>/ (Pctober, and end as soon* after commencement as possible, * for you will '4hen! R K'ave less trouble in weaning, and the calves will present a more even appearaaoeH'tpy^WoaldaUo!, fetch * better prW^Btftf in a' salfcy»rfe

for calves to rim with their mothers, so that would bring us to the beginning of May, the commencement pf winter. , To wean, successfully it 19 absolutely necessary to have a nice clean paddook, that han been shut up for nbout three weeks or a month; the feed should not be much older, otherwise it will be too rank for them, and they will not thrive. As winter would be coining on, they would be none the worse for a few roots, either mangels or swedes. A few days ago Mr. Dumergue drew my attention to an extract from a paper read before the Cambridge Farmers's Club by Mr Reynolds. He seems to think, also, that weaning is a difficult matter, and thinks a few roots are absolutely necessary in order to make the wcanert) thrive properly. In weaning, cows and calves should be kept both out of sight and, if possible, out of hearing of one another, otherwise the calves will be a long time in settling down, and some of them would probably manage to get back to their mothers again. In three or fonr days aftsr weaning calves will have settled down, if managed in that way. It is in such matters as these, which at first si^ht appear mere trifles •which constitute the difference between success aud, I might say, failure. Pleuro-pneumonia is a di&ease I have never seen. It has never appeared here, I believe, and with ordinary care I think never should ; nevertheless, it may not be out of place to call your attention to it. It is, as no doubt you all know, a contagions dc-ease of the lungs ; the disease may be generated by exposure to cold, i bad food, and little of it. Inoculation, from what one hoars, seems to have answered in Australia fairly well ; but •<otne of the best authorities seems to think it is not an effectual remedy. There is another disease, through trifling compared to pleuro-pneumonia, which is pievalent in some districts in this Island, and I saw it here in a mild form last autumn. It is known as tho "stagger*." I have never been able to find any mention made of it in public itious relating to stock. In the Hawke's Bay district they are troubled a great deal with it, and as tar as I know they have neither discovered the direct cause of it, or yet a cure ; it appears only in the autumn. Some attribute it to the ergot in rye grass, others to bad water, but I am of the opinion neither are the direct cause, though 1 believe rye grass has something to do with it, as well as heat. It disappears as winter sets in ; or if cattle are turned out on a river-bed, where there is plenty of rough feed and water, it leaves them. The first symptoms of the disease are a trembling of the head and neck, scouring, and, as it gets more hold, an animal will stagger about and sometimes get cast, especially when he goes down to water at a soft mud-hole. To conclude with, gentlemen, — I think I may say without any exaggeration, that pastoral farming here has not bad a fair trial, it has not been thoroughly and systematically carried out, and therefore has not been altogether a success. I have been through a number of districts in this Island, and I have not seen one more suit able and adapted to stock-raising than this, both on account of its climate and pasturage, two most important factors m the matter. If wo cannofc raise stock vastly superior t» what we now pessess, it must pimply be our own want of energy aud push. Farming the class of stock we now have will most undoubtedly not pay as it ought to. I have heard some menion made here and there of this Club holding a Show at some future period. I would certainly be a step in the right direction ; but befoie we can hope to do so, with any degree of success attached to it, we must put our shoulders to the wheel and produce something that will bear inspection.