As NZ Dairy Exporter counts down to its centenary in 2025, we look back at the issues of earlier decades. 50 Years Ago – January 1971.
Record price for jersey bull calf
A four-month-old Jersey bull calf has been sold at a New Zealand record price for a dairy breed calf.
The price of $2500 has been paid by Messrs Breeze and Webb, Silver Falls Stud, Ararimu, for Forest Glen Meteors Pride, a very stylish broken-coloured son of the glamour sire Big Hollow Designs Meteor, Merit Sire, 22 VHC daughters and sold for $16,200 two years ago. The dam of Meteors Pride is Forest Glen Gay Delicia, Excellent, the winner of 35 Championships or Reserves and with records over 600lb fat.
The breeder and vendor was Mr K. T. Taylor, Hamilton, and the sale was negotiated by the Hamilton Stud Stock Department of Wright, Stephenson & Co. Ltd.
Farming aids
Motorised backing gates take time to return to their original position and it is easy to forget to switch them off.
As a result, many motors have been burnt out. This happened to Mr Mel Morrison, of the Waihi District, but it is unlikely to be repeated. He has rigged up a simple device which turns the switch off automatically.
A pole on a block of wood at its top is attached to the gate. As the gate reaches the end of its return run, the block of wood pushes home a length of pipe, which in turn knocks the switch control to the off position.
Govt’s policy on new quarantine station
The three breeds of cattle which have been recommended for importation to the maximum security animal quarantine complex at Somes Island, Wellington, are the Blond d’Aquitaine, Simmental and Limousin.
The breeds will be studied by the Department of Agriculture’s breeding and genetics experts who will decide whether the animals will make a worthwhile addition to New Zealand’s livestock.
“Although overseas experiments and farm production data provide interesting indications of the performance of some of these breeds, farming conditions overseas, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere, are quite different from those in New Zealand, and wholesale importation of exotic breeds merely because some other country has found them useful is not necessarily the way to go to progressively improve New Zealand animals,” the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. D. J. Carter, said.
Countrywoman’s new role (Tui’s pages)
In a woman’s mature and wiser years, when she is no longer tied closely to a young family, she could contribute much to society. There aren’t nearly enough women on juries, hospital boards and in Parliament.
I feel we have let the Pankhursts down. I’m not suggesting we become banner-carrying, vocal, protest marchers, but I do think we are underestimating our influence and power and should be willing to accept more governing roles in all walks of life. Women can supply an answer to women’s and children’s problems that a man just cannot – Pauline.
- Thanks to the Hocken Library, Dunedin.
