The farmer. Breeding Hunters.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2066, 3 October 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)

The farmer. Breeding Hunters.

In a Utter to tbe Live StoJ, Journal, Wtl o' tho Wi«p says :— I bate read some interesting remarks lately on the breeding of hunters in "your valuable paper, and by your permission I should like to*make a few remarks which may bo of «ome use to hunter breeder". I have bred come hunters for several yon«p, and show a few « our local meetings occasionally, and get ray fair share of prize 3. As a rule I find the best way to breed hunters is to breed from two and threo-year old fillies that are sound, with good shoulders, and good ltga Bnd foot. I breed from li^bt cart marep, also coaching mares, from a blood sire, aud I have made from 100 guineas to .500 guineas each of my hunters when five yeavs old. I think thut in a very fair profit for the breeder. If farmers will pay attention and eeleot the riijht siro for their mares, they will have no trouble to sell the colt when fit for the market. I attended the Bhow at tho Agricultural Hall, London, and I wan delighted to see so many thoroughbred atallionn there. Bein« the first ahow of the kind held there, I went from box and box, and by (he courtesy of the different grooms in charge I was enabled to ha\ c a Rood look at them. I havo no doubt there were several sires in Class A that will leave some good hunters from picked marof«. But the lirut to take my attention was Mulatto, a tenyear old, sire Highclere, grand sire Newminster, dim Mies Lucy, by Sweetmeat." " What rare breeding," my friend said. I asked the groom if he was quiet. " Yes, sir," said he, "as quiet as a sheep ; come in and handle him." I did so, and to look at hie beautiful head, full of intelligence, hung on a long muscular neck with rare, shoulders, good back and middle, with extraordinary loins and quarters. He measured p\\ ftet eight inches to girth, nine inches below tho knee, and 10} inches under the hock. I'ai3 ia my ideal of a hunter sire. I thought I had never seen euch a one before, and did not b^rudge my joumoy to the llall had it been only to have seen Mulatto, who is full of quality and Htands H) hnnd-j hi^h on short lefis, and I heard that Professor Pritcbard prououncpd him perfectly gound, a very e^ential point in a sire. Tho horee v,a» gold to go to Devonshire, where there hm been many a good hunter bred, and I feel sins Mu'atto'a stock will be eigerly sought after.

Bruwith Kml. Amov<i the foundation animals to which shorthorn tribes are to bf traced which keep up the credit of the breed, few have done, find are doing, more to deserve reppect than has Brawith Bad— » daughter of Mr Crofton's Sir Walter 2(*r,S, and calved in lH3r> by a nameless cow, the property y>f one Mr. P. Consett, of Browith. Mr. Con^ett died, leaving the heifer to his relative, Mr. Ben Wilson, us a legacy; and it was told fit hn sale, 1810, to Mr. Grunt Duff, who is memorable as having been the first to initiate the modern practice of taking the public into his confidence, of publishing yearly catalogues of his herd at Eden. Brawith Bud formed a frequent theme for him to dwell on. Slie bred him much, and her stock was always good ; and her name is held in honor among breeders both in the old nnd new wnrldfl. I may, therefore, ask to be allowed to contradict the statement made in your columns «n pago 308. " For Brawith Bud Mr. Grant Duff gate lf>Oga. at Mr. Marjoribanks' sale, in 1R02." Brawith Bud lived to a good old age ; but she must have passed over to themsjonty before 1 S(I2 ; and there is no evidence to show that she ever left Scotland, or that Mr. Grant Duff bad any Shorthorns, after the dispersion of his herd in 18"> t. Inderd, it is believed that, like tho cow, in 1 S(V2 Mr. (/rant Duff was dead. The whola statement, as it i.tanda, is an error. Mr. Marjonbanks never owned Brav/nh Bud. Ue certainly purchased, for his second herd, a lot of Shorthorns from Sittyton ; among which was Khirkheo (a grand-daugher of Brawith Bud, through Bates bulb), and possibly some confu-ion hai been fallen into beween one of her daughters and Brawith Bud. Bat the faots about Brawith Bud are really as I now give them. It is not necessary always to have this information "to the front ;" but no one has right to publish anything at variance with it, for every statement can be authenticated. — The Live Stock Journal.

Shorthorns and Eusilnge* Afl usual, says 11. in The A nr'miUural Gazette, I had a look through the Underley Shorthorn herd, and, to my regret, found that tho venerable and fino old dairy cow nnd regular brreder, Underlpy Darling, had died in October last. She was a grand old cow, and has left behind her a numerous and promising family. Under the care of the new bailiff, Mr. Ormiston, who Ixiils from Midlothian, the whole of the cattle are looking well, and shou'd the owner decide upon a sale this nutnmn there will be some choice young Btock for disposal. There was an unmistakable odour of ensilage about the building, and Mr. Orraiaton reports favorably of its me. Various experiments are in progress, but it is yet too early to report definite result?. There are four silos, composed of seed-grass and clover, meadow gra"*, and oata, all of which were put in after being cut, and all having turned out well. The oats have a somewhat strong acid taste. The fourth was filled with rough park gra^, uncut, and some turnip tops were also put in. The latter were not uneable, and the rough gra°g has a Btronger smell than the other, and is cut up and used with others foods. Mr. Ormiston is of opinion that Bweet eilage can be made without pressure, by simply excluding air, and as tho ciloß are to be extended another year, and as e-spenr'G is not allowed to stand in the way with Harl Bective when experimenting for the bfnr fit of his tenants, no doubt thin also will have a trial. On taking oil the largo silage from tho Shorthorn cattle and substituting roofa, the milk wan tuted, and tho cre&m was found to have decreaped from I'l to 11. A fiimilar experiment waa tried with some ordinary dairy cattle, amongst •which was the milk of a Jernoy cow, and tho cream dropped from 10 to 1'!. It is also claimed that there is % great improvement in the butter when ennilage is fed. Experiments havo been made with calves, by substituting calf meal?, Ac, for whole milk, and to all appearance the calves which have been fed from birth on liibby's preparations, and have never tasted whole milk, are doing juat as well as the others. At Underlay, nice plots of land are ret npait for gardens for the labourers on the estate.

The Innermost Room. Tho lunger sang the world n sod,?, And noon in every tender heart ltd melody, sweet and strong, Became a dear and lastly part. But no one knew and no one circd, That from supremest grief and wrong Him breaking heart had learned the notes That trembled into glorious i-ong. A woman who from every cup Had drank life's glad and bitter streams But down and wrote a wondrotiH tale, At flweet and bright ai fairy dreams Bat no one knew and no one cared From what tumultuous pea of thought The soul in lonely voyages Iti parable of life had brought. The teacher with a burning heart. With tongue as swift and hot as flame, Lfd with a wise and tender heart The world into its higheHt aim. But no one a j ked and no one knew Tnrough what fierce conilict day by dny, !!• won the victory which cleared i-'or weaker hearts tho higher way. For each soul had one inner room Where alone it seeks the grace To utrnggle with its stharpent woe, its hardest destiny to face, To hit tho duty when iIH fears, To love, to trust, through every doom, And not tho nearest, dearest heart, Goes with it to thatinncr room,