NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20263, 4 August 1937, Page 13

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Presentation to Auotlonear. Representatives of auctioneering firms in the Waikato and others associated with stock activities in the district reoently made a presentation of a travelling rug to Mr V. C. A. . Christie, who retired reoently after long servloe with the Hamilton branch of Messrs Dalgety and Company. Mr A. C. Bushell, general manager of the Farmers’ Auctioneering Company, in making the presentation, referred to Mr Christie’s' unfailing courtesy to those associated with him in the rostrum. Ragwort and Seed Fly. The ragwort seed fly Is proving Its effectiveness on the property of Mr A. A. Rlggir, of Putaruru. When Dr. Miller, of the Cawthron Institute, visited Mr Rlggir’s property reoently he expressed himself as being delighted with the way the parasite had established itself. In all his experience he had never known of suoh early results. Dr. Miller stated that prospects for the ultimate eradication of ragwort were very bright, and at an early date this spring a much wider survey would be made, as the fly travels far afield and was expected to multiply rapidly. Imported Jerseys at Auckland. Several Waikato breeders have availed themselves of the opportunity of inspecting the outstanding consignment of 12 Jersey sires shipped from Amerioa by Mr Wallace MoMonnies, of Madison, New Jersey, whioh is at present in quarantine in Auckland, before being sold next Tuesday. Mr W. T. Luxton, of Matangi, saw the bulls at Auckland last week, and he describes them as being of great quality and sure to attract considerable attention when they are put under the hammer at Auckland. Chairman of Testing Association. Mr R. A. Candy, of Ngarua, was unanimously re-elected chairman of the New Zealand Co-operative Herd Testing Association at the annual meeting of the association last week. It is fortunate for the herd-testing movement in the Waikato that the association has such a capable figure at its head. r fhe chairman of the testing association is one of the most progressive farmers in the Waikato, and his farming practice is an example to others, Mr Candy’s farm at Ngarua being an object lesson in management and pasture oontrol. Imported Ayrshire for Waikato,, Greenan Barasoope, the two-year-old Ayrshire bull purchased by Mr W. C. Wallace, of Cambridge, at the recent sale of imported Ayrshires at Wellington, Is a very smart-looking bull, with a straight top and wellbalanoed body. He Is directly descended from Lessnessock Sunny Jim, being sifed by his grandson, Burton Butterfat, whose dam, South Craig Mabel, produced up to 542.671 b fat In a period of 45 weeks. Greenan Barascope is out of a famous daughter of the great proved sire, Net.herton Mazeppa, in Dremore Damsel, who produced as high as 525.981 b fat in 315 days. Netherton Mazeppa himself was out of Torrs Missie, one of the greatest cows of her time in Scotland. She sold at auction for 500gns. At 160gns Mr Wallace secured an undoubted bargain in Greenan Barascope, whioh he intends to use as his herd sire. Premium for Baconers. The annual conference of the New Zealand Co-operative Pig Marketing Association was solidly behind the association’s plan for a better system of grading under which a premium would be paid for top quality baooners. With Britain at present being more than adequately supplied with pork, no great expansion of pig products to Britain will be made until greater attention is paid to bacon production. However, it is of little use telling the farming community that they must produce bacon if they are going to benefit the industry from a national point of view. Naturally immediate profits are of more Interest to the producer, and consequently no substantial advance will be made in bacon production and no great Improvement in quality will take place until a better system of grading is introduced, under which an adequate premium will be paid for best baconers. The Dominion lags lamentably behind Denmark and other rival prolucing countries in this respect, and the time has surely come for immediate action.