Volume 67: Macarthur family papers relating to livestock, 1814-1884: No. 363

[Page 363]

Report - 10

ported stock has belonged to it.  Nearly every year has seen some importations, and the principal cattle-owners of the Colony have vied with each other in the introduction of superior animals.  Many of them have been selected from the best herds in England.  The effect of these importations has been most beneficial, as may be seen by contrasting the character of our cattle with those of Mexico.

The short-horned stock of the Colony may be classified as to its quality as follows:-
 

Hereford. - There are about a dozen importers and breeders of Herefords, and the introduction of this strain may be considered hitherto as having been satisfactory;  and if a constant supply of pure bulls of this breed is kept up in those herds where it has hitherto been tried, further good results may be anticipated.  The Herefords are hardier, more active, and carry thicker and heavier coats than the short-horns, and are better suited for inferior pasturage and outlying runs, where they stand the road and the winter better.  They come to maturity as early as the short-horns, but are not so heavy.  A good many stock-owners are now beginning to breed from Herefords, and it seems not improbable that they will eventually displace the short-horns in poor country and back runs.

Devons. - In 1832-3 the late Mr. Dickson, of Camden, imported cows and bulls of this breed, and their progeny made excellent crosses with the cattle then in the Colony, both for meat and milk, but they did not gain favour with stock-owners on account of their wildness.  The Australian Agricultural Company also introduced some Devon stock, but their influence was lost in the general short-horn herd.  The only importer and breeder of Devons, of any note in the Colony at the present day, is Mr. Reynolds, of Tocal, on the Paterson.  As a rule Devons have found but little favour with our stock-owners, as they do not make up the qualities which our own stock lack, that is, quality, size, squareness, and fulness in the handling points, and are too lively in their movements for any but careful managers.  It seems probable, however, that from their hardiness and their ability to travel, and from the excellence of their meat, they will ere long be found on many of the runs in the back salt bush;  and as fencing progresses it is probable that at the outlying districts Devon cows may be mixed with Durham and Hereford bulls, the progeny being fattened off and not bred from.

Fat Cattle. - The total number of cattle in the Colony being about 1,800,000, and the annual draft or "cast" of fact [fat] stock that is annually saleable from a fair breeding and fattening station in proper working order, being about one-eighth of the whole, we have about 225,000 as the annual cast of fat stock for the Colony.  Taking the average prices of fat stock in the Sydney and Melbourne markets at £5 10s., and the net price at £5, the annual value of the cast of fat cattle in the Colony would appear to be about £1,125,000.

The Cattle at the Exhibition. - The display was intrinsically good.  It would not have been surpassed in any British Colony, neither would it have contrasted badly with many local shows in the mother-country.  Ten years ago it would not have been possible to make so good a show.  The imported stock revealed the care that had been taken by those who selected the animals in the Mother-country, and the Colonial produce showed that there was nothing in the climate and herbage of the Colony to cause any deterioration.  The only reason why we should doubt the ability of the Colony to rival the mother-country in the production of cattle, is the uncertainty of our seasons.  During the long droughts to which the Colony is occasionally subject the stock is half-starved.  In these periods many young cattle get stunted for life, and breeding cattle throw inferior stock.  The mischief done during these periods is not recoverable during an equal period of good seasons.

The prize animal was Theodore, a bull imported from England and sold by auction in Sydney.  He took three prizes, - first, as the best short-horn;  secondly, as the best male animal in the cattle