Pasture Notes.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 18, 16 July 1920, Page 13

Pasture Notes.

SELECTING THE HEIFERS. There is an old saying that a cow cannot produce both "milk and beef." It may, to a certain extent, be correct, although there are many animals scattered about the country that come very near to upsetting the truth of that saying. In selecting the heifers we are generally on the look-out for what "vve hope will eventually become a "general purpose" cow. To the man who holds the opinion that if a cow milks well during her life it matters not what her end these remarks will not apply, as the majority of farmers do not hold that opinion. What is required is an animal that will give a good account of herself all through her life, and will iinish up something more than a bag- of bones; also, we require an animal that will breed a good calf, which will pay if kept for rearing, or will readily sell l'or that purpose. In selecting the animals, perhaps the chief point to obtain is a good constitution, and therein a breoder has a distinct advantage over a buyer who does not know the percentage of the a.nimaJs he selects. There are certain points which indicate robustness or otherwise. To judge a heifer correctly she should be seen a few days after calving, when her udder is at its best, _and shows its capabilities, for as milk is her principal product, the size and shape of this is naturally important. It should be large, square, and well set. The teats, which should be moderately long enough to allow full-handed milking, should be well set apart, though it should be remembered that the teats get bigger by using, and therefore smaller teats are to be preferred to very large ones in a heifer. They should be set square on the udder, and should be of even thickness ; thick or thinnecked teats should "be avoided; Whilst lying well forward under the belly, it is of equal importance that the udder should show well bellind, fillin.g up between the thigbs and extending upwards. There ought to be plenty of loose skin at the baek part ; this is an indication of greater possibilities in the future. The milk veins, which run on each side of the belly to supply blood to the udder, should be moderately developed, and not too thick ; tbe best milkers by no means have the most prominent veins. The udder should be covered with fine, soft hair, not too thick or coarse, as this, whilst showing robustness, often indicates coarseness. In general appearance a heifer should certainly be feminineJooking, with a broad head across the eyes ari forehead, eyes prominent and mild in expression. Beware of an animal that has a very wild, scared look, fine muzzle, and horns medium thickness, fine and tapering. The masculine-headed cow is not advised as she is not always to be relied upon as being a regular -breeder, and very rarely gives very great satisfaction in the milk paii. The neck should be fairly long, and should taper from the shoulders, running in a direct line down the back and carrying the head level and firm. The shoulders should be well built and sloping, rather narrower at the top, but with plenty of width below, forelegs well apart, showing an expansive chest. Nar-row-chested, weak animals should not be kept; well-sprung ribs, and a capacious stomach to digest plenty of food, and supply the other paris of the body with nutriment. Ihe back long and straight, with stiong loins, hind legs well set apart, so as to leave pleniy of room for the udder, and tlie skin should be fairly thick, soft, and locse, and should feel mellow to the touch, with plenty of fine, silky hair covering it. Beware of thin, hard skins ; they usually denote a bad constitution, The tail should be fairly long and tapering, with plenty of hair at the end. One great point to remember when buying heifers is that if one wishes to purchase good stock one must not expect to go into the sale-yard and purchase all that are wanted straight away.

BOOM IN PIGS. In our notes in this issue we record prices realised at saies of pedigree pigs held recently in England. Commenting on this boom, the "Mark Lane Express" remarks that it almost looks that one way of making money in England just now is to work up a herd of pedigree pigs and then acrrange a sale for them. It doesn't seem to matter whether they are Gloucester Old Sports, Large Blacks, Berkshires, or any other breed, so long ®as they claim the distinction of being pedigreg. Recent events seem to show that they will find a ready sale, and there appears to be a kind of competition between purchasers for the post of honour

in paying the highest prices for choice animals. Our Londoii contemporary does not venture to anticipate just how long this will last, but pigs increase quickly ; breeders of pedigree animals, seeing what others have done, follow their examples in organising saies, and it may be assumed that in paying record prices for sows and boars buyers do it with \the object of forming still more herds. . By increasing the number of pedigree pigs in the country, the standard of the average pigs kept not for breeding purposes, but consumption, is raised, because all the progeny of pedigree pigs do not figure in tlie Herd Book, and the influence of breed is seen in the pigs that go to the butcher.