ON THE LAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2360, 28 November 1908, Page 2

ON THE LAND.

BUYING RAMS. GOOD AND BAD METHODS. Tho following remarks by “Onlooker” in an English journal will doubtless bo found interesting : AVe have now arrived at a time when most of our flocks will be made up. Broadly speaking, they are .divided into two sections, those used for ram breeding purposes and those used for ordinary commercial work in. breeding sheep ' for mutton for the market. AYa tolling, as the writer lus done when purchasing sheep for stud purposes during the coining year at the different ram sales, many breeders of both classes, it ha.s’struck him more than once liow strange arc tho methods of many of these breeders in making their selections. Tn one ca.;e one will observe a breeder going through most carefully each consignment of sheep, noting different points, and when tho sale ring is visited, this breeder wiLl be found to bo purchasing certain sheep with certain characteristics clearly defined, and of certain strains of blood.

On, the other hand, the vast majority oi j iram buyers pay little or no attention to the individual pedigree of the sheep, and,only equal attention to the type, or conformation. ' Such breeders will be’ found to bo bidding away indiscriminately all through the sale; and taking rams or ram lambs for service, which can bo purchased at a figure under the price beyond whicli they will not go. This method of selection can only lead to one result —the production of an uneven and unmatcliing lot of lambs. The uniformity of type and symmetry so essential both for the ram breeder and for the. ordinary market can only be obtained by breeders who use sires of the same type. One often hears, “We must have a change of blood.” This is an allimportant factor in successful management, but to obtain this change of blood does not necessitate going to a hock formed of sheep having for their most prominent characteristics qualities entirely antagonistic and opposite to the flock for which the selection is being made. There is a saying that “you cannot mix chalk and cheese,” but this is really what a great number of flock masters endeavor to do. The writer overheard -this year on one occasion : “I must get a dark-faced sheep, as dark as I can, for my sheep’s faces are too light.” The. particular breeder was successful in his efforts in getting a darker-faced sheep, and the probability will bo that when Ids lambs arrive their faces will be more mottled than otherwise. To mate two extremes is wrong, it can .never be successful. If a desired object is in view tho way to obtain it is to breed gradually towards the desired end. Do not mate extremes, but do it by degrees. Then, again, one finds* manv men running after fashionable strains of blood. This is all very well for the owners of those fashionable strains of blood, but it i s not judicious, neither does it, in many cases, lead to success. The fashionable strain of blood represented by winning sires is doubtless a good strain of blood, hut to be successful in the flock it is all important that- such a strain of 'blood should be mated with strains for which it is suitable. Without this, to purchase any fashionable strain of blood is to attempt a new experiment which may or may mot be successful. No matter what may bo the general opinion, the actual result of a lengthy experience has shown that the mating of any two strains of blood is always more or less an experiment. Until such strains of blood have been mated and the result seen, no one can for certainty rely upon ,it being a success. One cannot fail to- realise the difference in the position of those who breed .and sell the better as compared with those who; breed and sell the poorer. What is the reason for this difference? Simply because tho former is a man who conducts his business in a thorough and practical manner, and is what may bo termed “a ram breeder.” Ifo makes it bis busimess; ho studies the details, and prepares his sheep for the market in the manner in which they will attract i'lio attention of the buyer, aw] bv his careful breeding and selection of sires and dams .sells to hjs purchasers year after year stud Wains that transmit to their progeny the merit and quality they have themselves, and thus gives satisfaction to the purchaser. The breeder at the other end of tho list is a speculator, who thinks that breeding of stud sheep can be indulged' in by anyone who owns a flock. It is true all fiockowners can, and do, breed ram lambs, but this does not dn any sense mean that they breed stud sheep. The ram breeder’s business has to be learned, like all other businesses; it is one that has to be managed with as great care and probably greater judgment than many others, and it is certainly one that no man, unless he has great experience, can ever hope to bo successful in-.

A MAGNIFICENT SHOW.

APPRECIATION OF CANTERBURY.

A stock expert who visited, in turn, the shows at Hawke’s Bay, PaOmerston North, and Christchurch, gave a “Dominion” reporter a flattering account of the great Canterbury event. The following are a few extracts from this remarks : —■

Farm Station.

THE DAIRY.

“A s ‘an exhibition, of .stock,” he said, “the Canterbury Show was the best that has ever been held in New Zealand —better even that the Exhibition show, notwithstanding the absence of several breeders' who were represented at the Christchurch Exhibition. Show. The sheep, for quality and condition, were, in most of the principal classes, • in advance , of those of any previous show. “More interest than usual attached to the Lincoln classes, owing to the presence of several entries from the Hon. J. D. Ormond’s Hawke’s Bay flock,-and -stronger entries than usual from tlie noted, southern breeders, Messrs •]. B. Suttoik and B. Seth-Smith. The interest was justified, because, for the first time for many years the New Zealand and Australian Land Co. (Moeraki) cul liot gain either of the championships. Their highest honor was the reserve championship for ewes- The chain-* pion iram was shown by Air J. B. Sutton, and Air'Ormond won the'reserve in rains and the championship in owes. It must bo remarked that in this breed also there was some difference of opinion as to tlie accuracy of the judging. “The draught horses were, by no means ■ representative of the .South Island, the season being unsuitable for bringing stud horses away from their duties. The judge, an Otago breeder of high standing, gave preference to the present fashionable type of Clydesdale —light in bone .and with showv action. “The light horses for general excellence were considerably behind those seen at tho big North Island shows, though they were brought into the ring In* much better condition. There Avas no 'juggler’ among them. The jumping also was not so good as that at the northern shows. There were, however, some remarkably fine dog-aert, gig, and buggy horses, ajul the tradesmen’s turnouts were. a-'fea-ture of the show both lor quality in the horses and excellence in tho equipment. This is perhaps to he expected near a big city, although it does not always follow. And, on the contrary, the Nelson show—near a smal.e.r toAvn —is famous for its display lit this particular line. '

BONED BEEF CONFISCATIONS. IS NEAV ZEALAND DUAIB ? There are evidences apparent in British exchanges that some ot the affected parties at- Home are urging for a proper inquiry into the recent enormous condemnations of imported boneless beef from New Zealand and elsewhere. It has already been pointed out that the had state of one ox tho consignments Avas due to the breakdown of the steamer’s refngerabin0 * "ear, and tliat idiis ittioi maxioii for a long time Avithheld from publication, it being left to bo interred that the meat had become unwholesome before it Avas packed. iheie is no doubt that the condemnations are likely to have .seriously damaged the name of Noaa' Zealand meat ol all qualities. It is surprising that no report on the matter appears to have boon made bv the veterinarian whom New Zealand recently established in . London to investigate just such matters as this.

the fat lamb industry . There is every indication that lamb i.s going to take the place of the mutton carcase in the exports of frozen meat from New Zealand. Apart from the question that more iamb necessarily means less mutton, there os no doubt that we have a better established market for lamb. Our irregular seasons of late years have appaientlv disorganised our market for mutton, and tho Argentine has made considerable headway at our expense. With a better fattening-season now m prospect tho Dominion should be able to recover some of its lost ground in the mutton market, for besides the normal carrv over of wetliers there is the addition of those that should have gone through tho works last season, hut couldi not he fattened for want of the necessary feed. Perhaps one of our troubles this coming season will be the over abundance of fat sheep and lambs. There has been a record lambing, and seldom lias there been such a season for bringing on the lambs right from birth, and as soon as tho works are open there will be thousands to come forward weekly. And as soon as tho wool is off the wethers we may expect these to come on rapidly off tho grass, and the numbers fattened in the summer will he far in excess of those available during the last few years, which have been either too wet or too dry. If the market can. be found for the meat there will he a heavy export of lamb and mutton from New Zealand this coming year, and in addition to the recovery in numbers there should: bo an advance in quality. At the same time there is no doubt tho lamb is our mainstay, and must,-as time goes' on, become of still greater importance because of the more assured market.

* DEVELOPING HEIFERS

lu order to obtain the fullest possible development of the milk-yield-ing qualities of heifers which are intended for dairy purposes it is necessary to breed from them at a. comparatively early age. In -a young heifer the organs connected with the secretion of milk are in an undcvelop-

id and plastic condition, and their development is greatly promoted by bringing the milk-secret mg function into early, play through the heifer being put in calf. Late breeding is a mistake in’, the case of dairy cattle, as the milk-producing apparatus does not attain its full development in a heifer that is put to the bull late in life.

RUGGING AND GROOMING. Very few dairymen tin Australia, and not many moro in Now Zealand where the climate is milder, rug their cova's in the winter. One farmer in Victoria is reported to have tried the rug this winter with extraordinary results. He first rugged one cow, and was so surprised at the .result that lie had to go over, the tests again and again before he would believ'c it. His books now show that whereas the cost of his butter in winter without rugs amounted to lid. a pound, with rugs it had been reduced to 6d.

STRINGY MILK. Stringi.ness in milk is caused by fungi which develops in tlie system of tlie cow. In an affected cow the temperature is raised one or two degrees above normal. Like most other fungi, this does not grow into filaments in the milk while within the body, but in five or six (hours after tlie milking the surface layers .are found to be one dense network of filaments. If a needle is dipped in this and lifted the liquid .is drawn out into a long thread. Care should bo taken in tlie water supply, which is likely to cause the strlngincss, and two drachms of bisulphite -of soda should be given daily until the stringiness disappears.

SHADE . FOR * OOAViS. It is necessary that milking cows and feeding cattle should have peace and' quietness if they are to give any quantity of milk o.r put on flesh, and they cannot possibly get this if they are tormented with flies. A practice that might he adopted more largely than is now tlie case is to have clumps of shade trees, under which might he placed a little artificial food, and if there is free access to water so much the hotter. If there is nothing else except shade and comfort it pays to give it to them, for if left in the field they do not graze much if the weather is hot.