EXCITABLE BULLS

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20995, 23 December 1939, Page 23 (Supplement)

EXCITABLE BULLS

“TREACHEROUS” WAYS While there are many arguments in favour of individual attention by the bull at mating time, a breeder recently pointed out to a Daily News representative that, not infrequently, a highly strung animal was kept in an almost perpetual state of undesirable excitement when shut away by himself. Probably, he said, this was one of the reasons wl*y a hitherto placid sire became dangerous. Under such circumstances there was much to be said for allowing a nervous bull to run with the herd. His owner would soon see whether the change of environment caused any improvement of'disposition. At any rate it was worth trying especially if the bull were valuable, because of high butterfat backing. Otherwise, it might become necessary to get rid of him for his alleged “treacherous” ways.

A further point indicated by the breeder was that many of the more valuable dairy bulls were the progeny of cows that excelled in the production of milk and butterfat. The making of high yields, he said, took a heavy toll on both the nervous system and mineral reserves of the dam. These factors were frequently entirely overlooked, but they had an important bearing on the temperament of a bull calf. Knowing this, it was easy to understand why dairy bulls were so often considered more treacherous than, for instance, bulls bred for beef production. A better description than treacherous, he thought, would be nervousness or excitability—traits that once recognised were generally controllable by wise management.

Compulsory Tillage In view of the necessity for increasing the production of food under the war conditions, the Irish Government had decided to adopt a scheme of compulsory tillage and to guarantee a higher price for homegrown wheat of next year’s harvest. Wheat growers will be assured of a price of 35s per barrel for wheat of the highest grade, and equivalent prices for other grades. Under the provisions of the Emergency Powers Order, 1939, an order relative to the cultivation of arable land will therefore be made, states an overseas exchange. It will apply to all holdings comprising ten or more statute acres of arable land, and will require the occupier of any such holding to have 12i per cent, that is one-eighth, of arable land in cultivation in 1940 whether or not any portion of the arable land was tilled in 1939. For the purposes of the order the production of the ordinary tillage crops —cereals, potatoes, roots and other . green crops, flax, fruit and vegetables ' ■ —will rank as cultivation, but first or second year’s rotational grass, whether sown or grazed, and orchards in grass, will not so rank. Land sown before January 1 with winter wheat, cats or rye, for harvest in 1940 will rank as cultivated in 1940.