10 Jan., 1919.] 



Red Poll Dairy Cattle. 



21 



RED POLL DAIRY CATTLE. 



Report on the Departmental Herd, Season 1917=18. 



Although the herd records this year do not show any sensational 

 figures, the average of 7,776 lbs. of milk and 341 lbs. of butter fat cannot 

 but be regarded as highly satisfactory. 



Sickness interfered with the old champion " Muria," nevertheless 

 she made over 406 lbs. of fat from 7,293 lbs. of milk, testing 5.57, 

 in 266 days. 



" Birdseye," probably the most consistent cow in the herd, again 

 gave the respectable yield of 8,330 lbs. of milk and 437 lbs. fat. " Birds- 

 eye " is one of the few cows in the State to average over 400 lbs. of fat 

 in four successive nine-month testing periods. Her value as a breeder 

 as well as a yielder is fully demonstrated by the fact that her first 

 daughter, " Avesia," as a heifer last year gave 340 lbs. butter fat, and 

 this year, on her second calf, gave over 1,000 gallons of milk and 414 lbs. 

 butter fat. " Birdseye's " second daughter, " Opticia," heads the list 

 of heifers for the year under review, with 9,257 lbs. milk, and 410 lbs. 

 butter fat in 333 days. This heifer has since been forwarded to New 

 Zealand as one of the exchanges for the Friesian herd, which the 

 Department acquired from the New Zealand Government. " Birdseye's " 

 yearling bull was a winner at the recent Melbourne Royal Show, and, 

 in acquiring him to head his newly-established Red Poll herd at 

 Corriedale Park, Wagga, Mr. J. P. Gruthrie gets a remarkable combina- 

 tion of type, form, size, and hereditary milk-producing capacity. 



The family record of " Virginia," dam of " Birdseye," is perhaps 

 worth reproducing. It is as follows: — 



Virginia. 

 lbs. lbs. 



Milk. Fat. 



6,362 (1st calf) 254 

 5,510 .. 221 

 6,500 . . 282 

 8,229 . . 357 



10,252 . . 456 



La Perla. 



(By Prince of Wales) 



(Not tested.) 



La Reina 

 (By Tabacum). 

 lbs. lbs. 



Milk. Fat. 



5,070 (1st calf) 261 

 6,712 . . 344 

 6,677 . . 319 

 8,028 . . 378 



Birdseye 

 (By Tabacum). 

 lbs. lbs. 



Milk. Fat. 



4,440 (1st calf) 257 

 6,542 . . 358 



8,522 . . 474 

 9,146 . . 597 

 8,330 . . 436 



L 



Avesia 



(Bv Nicotine). 



lbs. ^ . lbs. 



Milk. Fat. 



7,406 (1st calf) 340 



10,030 . . 414 



Opticia. 



(ByNicotine). 



lbs. lbs. 



Milk. Fat. 



9,251 (1st calf) 410 



Previous reports emphasized the beautiful dairy form of " Nether- 

 lana." This year, she heads the herd, with the fine record of 12,722 



