92 KFW SOUTH WALES. 



Blctrli-poUi'd. — Importations of tlic Black-polled Lrecd liave at various 

 times been made^ but, as in the case of the Devons, they were at first 

 all but lost in the gceral herd. Within the last few years, however, 

 several breeders in lihis and the neighbouring Colonies have formed 

 Black-polled herds, principally from importations fi'om New Zealand, 

 w^here the breed is now fully established. As beef cattle, the Black- 

 polls, whether bred and fattened as pure, or used for crossing with the 

 Shorthorn, cannot bo excelled ; and although they are being introduced 

 by some of our breeders into their herds, this is not taking place so 

 rapidly as was to be expected. Having been accustomed in breeding 

 Shorthorns to cut out any that were black or of dark colour, our 

 breeders are unwisely prejudiced against the Black-polled ; but this 

 prejudice cannot continue in the face of the fact that the Black-polls 

 and their crosses with the Shorthorn regularly " top " the London 

 market, and that no cattle pay their breecler and fattener so well. 



Red-polls. — The Colony is indebted to Mr. Philip Charley, of Belmont, 

 Richmond, for the introduction of this excellent breed of cattle. 

 Although they do not carry the same depth of flesh, nor mature so 

 early, nor make such heavy weights as the Black-polls, their meat is 

 first-class, and brings very nearly as high a price in the London market. 

 The Red-polls are also fairly good dairy cattle, and this accounts for 

 their lightness of flesh as compared with the Black-poll. An addition 

 of four head from England has recently been made by Mr. B. Osborne, 

 of Jugiong. 



Crosses. — It will be seen from the foreo'oino- statement that the 

 number of cattle described as crosses is very large, the Shorthorn breed 

 taking, as it does in all other parts of the world where it obtains 

 a footing, the premier ^ilace among the crosses. There is no doubt that 

 crosses bred from pure or fairly pure cattle on both the sire's and dam's 

 sides are very profitable stock, especially for fattening ; and this our 

 cattle-breeders have discovered ; but unless crossing is carried out in 

 accordance with the correct rules of breeding, and as far as possible 

 stopped at the first cross, at any rate in beef cattle, it will not be 

 attended with success. 



The Australian Dairy Cattle. — For many years the districts from which 

 our dairy produce came was from the country on the upper waters of 

 the Hawkesbury River, and from the farms on the Coast Division, but 

 principally from Camden, Wollongong,Illawarra, and Ulladulla districts. 

 Latterly, however, w'ith the introduction of the Laval Separator and 

 other improved dairying appliances, and the formation of co-ciperative 

 dairy factories, for which the country is largely indebted to Mr. Dymock 

 of Kiama, a paying export trade in dairy produce has been established ; 

 and not only has the number of our dairy-farmers greatly increased, 

 but many of our larger cattle-owuers in the Coast and Mountainous 

 Divisions, and even in the next division — the western slopes — who are 

 within reach of steam carriage, and who formerly devoted their attention 

 to fattening cattle, have gone extensively into dairying, and find that 

 daily produce pays them better than beef. This industry is bound to 

 increase, for although extensive tracts of the Colony are well adapted 

 for grain-growing, the same country is specially so for dairying and 

 fruit-growing. There are some 384 dairy factories in the Colony, 

 and their number is being steadily increased^ while well-appointed 



