THE JERSEY BREED.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20264, 5 August 1937, Page 26 (Supplement)

THE JERSEY BREED.

Pre-Eminent Position :: Numbers Steadily Increasing

Throughout the world’s dairying countries, the Jersey, full of vigour, early to mature, and a consistently high producer, is one of the leading breeds, but in New Zealand, the most specialised natural dairying country in the world, the Jersey’s position is pre-eminent. This predominating position has not been attained by any propaganda put out in favour of the breed, but solely through meritorious performances. As dairying has progressed in this country so has the percentage of Jerseys increased. Farmers have not needed to be persuaded that Jerseys pay them best—they have found it out for themselves. In fact, the history of the Jersey breed in New Zealand reads like a modern romance and its rapid rise to fame and national importance is unequalled in the history of dairy cattle. When Jerseys were first introduced into New Zealand in 1862 by Mr. Thos. Syers, even the most enthusiastic supporter could not have foreseen the enormous influence they would exert in creating New' Zealand’s greatest rural industry. In the short space of ten years the Jersey cattle in this country doubled their numbers and that deep wisdom has been shown in the selection of the various importations that have been made from time to time is demonstrated by the high average quality of the multitudinous Jersey herds distributed throughout the Dominion to-day. Waikato’s Part. Waikato has indeed played a most prominent part in the history of the Jersey breed and to-day many of the most successful and outstanding herds of the Dominion are situated within its boundaries. Many famous Jerseys have been bred in this district and instancing this is the remarkable performance of the cow “ Beechlands Summer Lass” which, as a junior tw ro-year-old, milked twice a day, produced 15467.2 lbs. milk and 899.25 lbs. butterfat, thereby establishing a world’s record for her age. The great growth of the Jersey cult in New Zealand may not even yet be fully realised by many people. There are approximately 2000 members of the New Zealand Jersey Cattle Breeders’ Association to-day and besides these there are numbers of others breeders and owners of purebreds who are not yet affiliated. Since the inception of the association 92,000 bulls, 135,000 females, have been registered. Without high producing stock it is impossible to create herds of heavy producing strains and the foregoing figures are merely mentioned as indicating the predominating influence of Jersey cattle in New Zealand. The imposing numerical increase in the purebred and grade stock of Jerseys has not been the result of chance. It has been the direct and natural consequence following upon the superiority of the Jersey, purebred, grade or cross —as a dairy cow. Outstanding individual records do not necessarily prove the worth of any breed for universal use. Whilst such high records are of immense interest, thereby indicating the ability of the Jersey to make phenominal recorqr, high average production over a large number of cows is, however, the safest measure by which the value of any breed may be gauged and it is this we want to emphasise. Since the introduction of C.O.R. testing in New Zealand, no less than 8192 first-class certificates have been awarded to Jerseys by the Dairy Division, Department of Agriculture, the average production for the whole of this number (a total far in excess of that tested by all other breeds in the Dominion) being 465.30 lbs. butterfat. This is a highly meritorious performance and one that provides convincing proof of the Jersey’s pre-eminence in the dairying industry of this Dominion. —Provided by the New Zealand Jersey Cattle Breeders’ Association.