FIRST CENTURY OF DAIRYING IN NEW SOUTH WALES. 



Fairy Meadow, on the north of Wollongong. to Gerringong, south 

 of Kiama, from 1645, to 1805. 



Between 1865 a d 1875 many changes took place. The Long- 

 iiorns and the Long ho ^.cd Durham were foolishly neglected, whilst 

 the bi-'-f SlKnh.rns were put. in most instances, in their places. 

 There was a great craze on for the long faced Shorthorn, the fore- 

 runners of the "pig-jawed" cattle. it was in 1876 that the "pig- 

 jaw" cattle conference was held in Kiama. when many people were 

 foolish enough to think it was caused by the cattle having to feed 

 up and down the beautiful slopes that go to make up the rich pas- 

 ture lands of Illawarra. Then we find the Ayrshire coming to the 

 fore. The bull Major and other such sires filled the bill oi fare 

 for the next decade among the dairymen, to wit, that period from 1875 

 to 1885; but this was largely due to the three strains t.!hat existed 

 prior to 1875, and a few really good Ayrshire bulls that were in- 

 troduced contemporary with Major. The Messrs. MqGill steered 

 a very clear course for years after the first introduction of the beef 

 Shorthorn into Illawarra. and those who held fast to the McGill 

 strain afterwards leaped their reward. Hence we have to con- 

 stantly m<e the influence of their famous Scotch Jock strain in 

 many of the test cows between 1879 and 1889. The influence 

 of Mr. James Robb's black and white Ayrshire bull is also very 

 prominent in the breeding of test cows under review. But it 

 does not prove anything beyond this: If you want to breed cross- 

 bred cows for dairying purposes, be sure that all the crosses in- 

 troduced are of real genuine dairy quality. No greater truth could 

 be preached than: A cross between a Shorthorn and an Ayrshire 

 is one of the best for dairy purposes. This is also a very dangerous 

 statement to make, as it has led to much confusion. Tf the Short- 

 horn and the Ayrshire are not both of very excellent dairy strains, 

 which are bv no means easy to obtain now-a-days, nothing but 

 contusion and disaster can possiblv follow. Therefore, for any 

 man to say that the old Illawarra breed of cattle can be replaced 

 by breeding from pure bred Shorthorns and Ayrshires, would be a 

 statement without any knowledge of the foundation of the old strains 

 of dairy cattle, once the pride of our fathers. True, we have seen 

 some specimens of roans or red coloured dairy cattle at mir shows 

 of late years, but they are merely the result of some bull that has 

 been cried back by his mother to the ojd Teeswater Durham from 

 which her progenitors sprung, or probably to the old Red Lincolns 

 which had a similar origin. Further, showmen have a better sys- 

 tem of bringing out their cattle now than they 'formerly had. 



In the past we saw the whole herd grazing in one paddock in 

 their natural condition. Yet it was net an uncommon thing t > see 

 many of them milked thrice daily, and often for weeks before calv- 

 ing, or until they did calve. Now we are accustomed to sec a few 

 head of show animals kept in a fancy paddock, and constantly hand- 

 fed. This statement is made with full knowledge of the fact that 

 at the period under review very few indeed of the dairymen of New 

 South Wales were aiming at the establishment of any defined breed. 

 They were ; ware that no breed of animal could be transferred 

 frori the r-laco A vhen it originated, and to which it was suited, to 

 another of unlike formaii' n. climate, and fertility, and yet retain 

 all its original characteristics. They were also aware that the 

 pronounced milking habit of some breeds was the result of the 

 origination of their nervous system as indicated in the character of 

 the head and spine f rmation. Further, they worked on the theory 

 that the word "breed" meant as much the purpose for which an 

 animal was bred as anything else. Therefore, in crossing they 

 <lid not attempt to mate an animal bred exclusively for beef with 

 another animal bred essentially for the dairy, unless the beef-bred 



JJJ. 



