1 Jury, 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 13 
As showing the expansion of imports, Canada shipped to Great Britain in 
1894. 2,339,000 1b., and in 1896 9,896,000 Ib.—an increase of 7,557,000 1b. And 
there can be no doubt that later returns will show a still greater increase. 
The consideration of how we are to benefit by this great market introduces the 
second part of this paper, and more properly relates to dairying. Of course the 
obvious reply to the question is: ‘ Put a prime article on the market.” But 
this is insufficient, as it raises the question of how that is to be done, and thus 
involves the breed of cattle best suited for the purpose, their feeding and 
treatment. 
The subject of butter making and packing does not enter into the question, 
as the export trade can only be conducted by the factory. Now as to the best 
breed of cattle for dairying. This must to a great extent depend on the class of 
country in which the milk farmer is located. Generally speaking, there are 
six dairy breeds, each one of which has characteristics which make them 
specially suitable for different purposes—either butter, cheese, or milk. The 
are Shorthorn, Ayrshire, Holstein, Devon, Guernsey, and Jersey. The last two, 
however, are so nearly alike that for the purpose of this paper they may be 
considered as one, speaking of them as Channel Islands cattle. The Victorian 
Government dairy expert, in his work entitled “ Butter-making in Theory and 
Practice in Australia,” gives their yields in milk and butter per 100 1b of milk 
as follows :— 
Shorthorn, 4,000 lb. of milk per season, with 44 percent. butter. Ayrshire, 
4,500 to 5,000 lb. of milk, with 4 per cent. butter. Holstein, 6,000 lb. of milk 
and 3 per cent. butter. Devons 3,000 lb. of milk, with 43 to 5 per cent. 
butter. Channel Islands cattle, 3,500 Ib. of milk and 5 to 6 per cent. 
butter. Of these five breeds, the Shorthorn is a pre-emmently useful one, 
but, unfortunately, only does really well on rich and abundant pastures. In 
this part of Queensland, they arenot Al. The Ayrshire, although a useful breed, 
1s more suited for cheese than for butter farming. The Holstein, with its large 
milk yield of 6,000 Ib. of milk per season, but with its poor yield of butter, is quite 
outclassed, except for milk-selling, where quantity rather than richness is the © 
chief aim. The Devons are a very useful class, but their yield of milk is ve 
small. Still, their hardiness and ability to adapt themselves to do well where 
larger breeds would fall away, while as steers they are among the best workers, 
and also make good beef, leaves them in a prominent position, so that they must 
not be overlooked. 
There now only remain the butter breeds par evcellence—the Channel 
Islands cattle, which have been bred in their native home for centuries for the 
one purpose of making butter; and where butter is the product required to 
attain the greatest success, Jersey blood, either pure or grade animals, must 
form part of the herd. A. few extracts from good authorities may not be without 
interest. Willard says:— 
“No one breed can be recommended for all situations, or to best suit the 
wants of all persons engaged in butter dairying. Farms differ widely in their 
character. Some lands have a level surface, others are rolling, and still others 
are broken and hilly. Soils, too, vary from the richest to the poorest. 
“Again, one farmer wishes to make butter and cheese; another wants to get 
the best returns in butter, cheese, and beef, orin butter and beef; while a third is 
looking simply for the best butter yield alone. It is evident that no one breed 
will fulfil all these conditions at once and at the same time. As a general 
principle, it may be affirmed that good butter can be produced from any breed, 
and, not unfrequently, a common cow, with no renowned blood in her veins to 
boast of, will yield as much and as good butter as the boasted cow that has a 
long record in the herd-hook. As a rule, it may be said that the small breeds 
give the richest milk. The Jersey and the Deyon are, perhaps, the most noted 
in this regard. They do not yield so large a quantity as some other breeds; 
nor does it always follow that a cow yielding very rich milk will be the most 
profitable for butter-making, as a cow giving a larger quantity of average good 
milk may make better returns in butter. : 
B 
