JAPAN AND THE COW.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2631, 13 October 1909, Page 7

JAPAN AND THE COW.

AN lAIPORTANT DEVELOPAIENT.

Another hint has been received this week of the genesis of a large market for New Zealand products in the East, (writes a “Press” correspondent from London under date August 20.) In the East are 400,000,000 people who are gradually beginning to adopt our European practices, and so to have European wants. The Japanese, who are as numerous as the population of the United Kingdom, are already eating beef. For some time past earnest attention has been devoted by the Japanese Government under tho direct encouragement of the Emperor, to the improvement of Japanese cattle by the importation of British bulls to be crossed with native breeds on the Government stud farms. The head of the Cattle-breeding Department of the Japanese Government. Air. Hashimoto, is at present visiting this country toi make purchases of stock. Ho is accompanied by Mr. Nuyarna and Alajor Ishibaslii, who have come to buy horses and agricultural instruments.

“Meat-eating,” said Mr. Hashimoto, ‘‘is on the increase in Japan. Its popularity is increased by the recently advanced theory that ait over-great consumption of rice is a source of beriberi. The Japanese peasant dees not eat much rice; it is too dear. Barley, and fish are his staple foods. The upper and middle classes, however, who have, hitherto eaten large quantities of rice are now slowly beginning to add meat to their dietary. Beef is the favorite dish. It is cut up small, boiled with a native bean sauce and vegetables, and eaten with the hashi or chopsticks. The wholesale price of beef in Japan is about 6d per lb. “It is now ten or twelve years since we began to import European cattle into Japan to improve our native breeds, for ploughing purposes. Japanese farmers invariably use cattle. For this purpose the native breeds are good, but for milk and beef they are poor. Our object is a dual one. We wish to produce a beast which will be servicable for draught purposes and will at the same time be of value when subsequently k lied for meat. We also want to produce a good milch cow. “For the first purpose the brown breed of Swiss cattle is found to make the best cross; for the milkers we are introducing Ayrshire®. Jerseys were formerly tried, but were not sufficiently hardy. A hardy! stock is required in Japan, where, since there is little grass land, the cattle . have to live almost entirely in barns. The result of the cross has produced a cow. that gives double the amount of milk that the native breed used to yield seven years ago—which was a gallon a day for six months or less. On an average we send over 100 beasts a year, and I have paid as much as £l5O for a very good heifer. Wo also import Berkshire and Yorkshire pigs, and sheep from Russia.