048 CATTLE AND DAIRY FAEMINCK 



Herefords, are of a dark-red color, white nose, full eye, and flno horuh, 

 Mr. Thomas Allen, to whom 1 am indebted for much of the material in 

 this report, is of the opinion that the Devonshire oxen are unrivaled at 

 the plow, especially if the ground is not too heavy. They have a quick- 

 ness of action which no other breed of cattle can equal. 



Oy labor is no longer employed in England, but Mr. Allen thinks 

 that years will elapse before such labor can be dispensed with in New 

 Zealand. He says that no better breed can be found for the purpose 

 than tiie Devon. They have better dairy qualities than the Hereford^, 

 but do not grow or fatteaso rapidly'on rough feed. They are, however, 

 profitable to the butcher and prove to be better than they look. 



AYRSHIKES. 



Ayrshires are also a favorite breed here. They come next to the 

 D'^vous in regard to numbers, and are especially adapted for the dairy. 

 They give a great quantity of milk and for a long period. They are 

 found in New Zealand of various colors, principally red and white and 

 sometimes brown and white. 



The Ayrshire steers, unlike the Herefords, do not make good beef, 

 and are usually sold for veal and the heifers reared for the dairy. Mr.. 

 Dilworth owns a pure-blooded heifer of this breed that at one time 

 produced as much as 23 pounds of butter per week, and now averages 

 from 12 to 15 pounds per week. 



ALDBKNEYS. 



The Alderneys are not numerous in New Zealand, and are looked 

 upon as fancy cattle rather than profitable ones. They are kept here 

 for the richness and quality of their milk, but are not used in large 

 dairies. They are of little value to the grazier. 



MIXED BREEDS. 



In addition to the distinct breeds I have described there are a great 

 number of cross-bred cattle in New Zealand, from the Longhorn down 

 to the colonial bred Polled cattle. During the spring and summer 

 months thousands of cattle are fattened and slaughtered from the ordi- 

 nary pastures without the aid of either roots or artificial food. In some 

 parts of the colony cattle are fattened on the open pastures all through 

 the year. In districts subject to frost, it is necessary to grow a good 

 supply of roots and hay on which to fatten the cattle during the winter. 

 Stall feeding or even housing the cattle during the winter nights is 

 quite the exception here. Some pure-bred cattle kept for stud purposes 

 are stall fed, and on some dairy farms the cows in milk are housed at 

 night during the- three winter months, when they are fed on hay and 

 roots, grazing the paddocks during the day, but.the greater number are 

 left out all the year round without shade or shelter. On some of the 

 large runs herds of breeding cows are kept, and the calves are left to run 

 with their mothers till they are four or five months old, when they are 

 drafted off to a distant part of the run and weaned out of sight and 

 sound of each other. The young stock thus bred are reared and some 

 times fattened. If the feed is not good enough they are sold to the 

 graziers to ia*fcen, the difference between the value of store and fat 

 cattle Ijeing the grazier's profit. 



