17) The compositor may abbreviate long names in division 6, but no other alterations are admissible. Abbreviations can only be used where the names have occurred in full in earlier divisions of the table. Should the space in division 6 be insufficient for the names and numbers and signs of further ancestors, the signs alone are entered. Explanations of the pedigree, breeding information and premiums should be entered on the back of the form. But in the Ist longitudinal division (allowing a suitable interval) the name of the breed can be entered below (on the right) and the date of birth (above) on the left. 547 Live Stock Breeding in the Sierra do Norte in Peru. BROGGI, ALFREDO: in La Riqueza Agricola, Vol. II, No. 13, pp. 867-873. Lima, January 1913. On account of the distance of the Sierra do Norte from populous centres and of the lack of roads, stock breeding in this region is still practised on primitive lines. The estates are very extensive — up to 25 000 and 50 000 acres; sometimes the same owner possesses adjoining estates reaching from the coast to the mountains. The estates are divided into "campos," "potreros and “inviernas." The campos," which occupy the greater area, are not enclosed and they are grazed during the rainy season. The "potreros,, include the best pastures and are mostly surrounded by dead hedges or by ditches. They are reserved for the use of weak and young animals during the dry months; the "inviernas" are irrigated meadows often enclosed by dry stone walls and sown to "paja chilena" or "paja parada" (Stipa spp.) and devoted to the fattening of the cattle to be sold during the year. Sometimes the "potreros" also are sown with “paja chilena," or settlers are allowed to grow cereals in them on condition of leaving the stubble for forage. The "inviernas " are sown by hard, a pick being used to prepare the soil which is too irregular and too stony to be ploughed. The ground is resown every 10 to 15 years. It is customary to give any agriculturist who settles on the estate, as farmer, a certain extent of land, on payment of a trifling rent (1 to IO Soles that is 2 to 20 shillings) and of a share of the produce (beans and maize); the farmer has also to assist in the performance of certain work, his share amounting in all to 30 days per annum, and to pay I sol (about 2 shillings) for grazing rights per head of cattle per year. Strangers pay twice as much. This promiscuity is often in jurions to the cattle of the estate, which gets crossed with inferior animals. Once a year, at the approach of the rainy season, a general invertory is made of the live stock, taking the herds that is the cattle entrusted to one herdsman in succession. It is then that the animals are branded and eventually castrated. In some estates the cattle are rounded up a second time at the end of summer, when the animals to be fattened are picked out. Where horses and cattle are bred the inventories are made separately. It takes from 3 to 6 months to fatten cattle in the "inviernas.” The cattle of the Sierra is smaller and not so well built as that of the coast, where selection and crossing with improved breeds is practised. Nevertheless, even in the Sierra do Norte, a breeder has introduced excellent Hereford bulls. The chief and most profitable industry is the fattening of cattle, though some cheese is made. The cows are milked only during two or three months in the year and they yield barely a quart of milk per day. Both cheese aud butter are made very imperfectly and with the most rudimentary utensils. A good deal could be done for the improvement of breeding in the Sierra do Norte. The climate is mild, the temperature rarely sinking below 1o C. and the rains are abundant in the summer; consequently, with a relatively small amount of labour, plenty of pasture might be secured all the year round. There are no cattle diseases. The liver-fluke is the parasite most to be feared. " Sheep breeding would find favourable conditions, especially in the 'puna or higher part af the Sierra, but it is not so profitable as cattle raising. Some years ago Merinos were introduced, but as no proper care was bestowed on the crossing, the flocks soon degenerated, and now they have not much more wool than the native (criollo) breed. The death rate is rather high, chiefly owing to staggers, so that often the yearly increase is not above 10 per cent. There are also many ticks. The average yield of washed wool per head is from 2 to 1 lb. per head. It sells at 8 to 10 soles per arrota (72d to 92d per lb.) The average price of sheep is about 4s and of fat sheep about 6s. 548 The Fat Stock at the General Stock Show in Paris. VOITELLIER: in La Vie Agricole et Rurale, Year 2, No. 14, pp. 381-384. Paris, March. 8, 1913. This report gives advice as to fattening and exhibiting stock, as well as information respecting the success obtained with various French breeds of cattle, sheep and pigs. 549 Illustrierte The Prussian Half-Bred Horse. GANZERT: Unser Halbblut. 550 East Prussian Studs [and the Supply of Horses fnr the Army. GOLDBECK: in Illustrierte Landwirtschaftliche Zeitung, Year 33, No. 24, pp. 224-225, Berlin, March 22, 1913. Information respecting the development of the East Prussian remourt studs and the present breeding of remounts, together with an accourt of the importance of this work for the army. The last section gives a list of the best private studs. HORSES, ASSES AND MULES CATTLE 551 The Austrian Cattle Census of December 31, 1910, and the Fluctuations in the Number of Cattle since 1900, especially as regards Milch Cows. LEDERER: in Österreichische Molkerei-Zeitung, Year 20, No. 5, pp. 65-66. Vienna. March 1, 1913. In 1910, the total number of cattle in Austria amounted to 9 160 009; of these 4901856 were cows and I 154 283 steers. In comparison with the 1890 cattle census returns, there is a decrease of 3.7 per cent. This falling off is chiefly in steers (20.7 per cent.) and bulls (16.5 per cent), for the cows have increased 3.3 per cent., owing, in the writer's opinion to the increase of dairy-farming. The number of cows has risen from 50 per cent. to 53 per cent. of the total horned stock, but this increase has not kept pace with the growth in population. While in 1900. there were 181.5 cows per 1000 inhabitants, this number had fallen to 171.6 at the time of the last census. The number of cows has decreased every where in the Alps, except in Lower Austria. This is especially noticeable in Carinthia (7.1 per cent.), in Carniola (6,8 per cent.), and in the Voralberg (6.8 per cent.). In the Sudeten and Carpathian districts a considerable increase is to be observed: 7.8 per cent in Moravia, 5.8 per cent. in Galicia and 9.2 per cent, in the Bukowina. In Salzburg, there are 329 cows per 1000 inhabitants (the maximum), in Upper Austria 323, in Carinthia 229.9, in the Tyrol 229.5 and in the Vorarlberg 226.8. while in Dalmatia the number sinks to 45.5 (minimum). Rearing young cattle seems to be most extensively practised in Styria, Carniola, Göritz, Gradiska, Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, Galicia and the Bukowina. 552 A Contribution to the Knowledge of Tarantais Cattle from the Zootechnical and Economic Standpoints. - HOFFMANN: in Mitteilungen der landwirtschaftlichen Lehrkanzeln der k. k. Hochschule für Bodenkultur in Wien, Vol. 1, Part. 3, pp. 309-337. Vienna, January 15, 1913. The detailed investigations of the writer led to the conclusion that Tarantais cattle ("Race tarantaise," or "Race tarine") of south-east France are not, as Boucher supposed, the result of a cross between the "Race Jurassique" (Swiss spotted cattle) and the "Race des Alpes ", but a separate pure breed. In order to determine the descent and relationships of these cattle, the writer made comparative examinations of their skulls, of which the results justified the conclusion that the Tarant cow is a direct descendent of the old lake-dwellers' cattle, which were once found everywhere throughout Savoy. Some primitive characters of the lake-dwellers' cattle seem to be still latent in the Tarantais. The structure of all the skulls examined showed a considerable improvement upon the type belonging to the pre-historic breed. The writer especially noticed a shortening of the face and a corresponding broadening of the forehead and back of the head, from which he came to the conclusion that this short-horned breed was not only more highly developed, but that its development had proceded along brachycephalic lines. This small amount of brachicephaly is not, in his opinion, to be attributed to a mixture of breeds. " Therefore the Tarantais cattle should be placed in the zootechnical system between the third and fourth forms of the type "Bos taurus europaeus. Dr. Hoffmann gives a detailed account of the Tarantais breed, which has hitherto been little dealt with in books on cattle. 553 - The First Show of the Red Cattle of Central Germany at Biedenkopf. — KEISER: in Deutsche Landwirtschaftliche Presse, Year 40, No. 12, pp. 135-136; No. 13, pp. 150-151. Berlin, February 8 and 12, 1913. This is a report of the first exhibition of breeding cattle, which was held by the Federation of Breeders of the Red Cattle of Central Germany at Biedenkopf last autumn. To this Federation, which was founded about eighteen months ago, there are now affiliated 22 Breed Associations with about 10 000 head of cattle. Its object is the improvement, by means of selection, of the breeding stock of the native red cattle, which are kept in the mountainons districts of Central Germany and in Silesia. The aim of the Federation is to obtain an animal good for milk and meat production and also for work, and which is better adapted to the needs and economic capacity of the different breeding districts. An attempt is being made to unite higher milk yield, greater weight, a better formed hind quarter, a more powerful muscular development of the thighs, as well as earlier maturity, preserving at the same time its special aptitude to draught purposes. The live-weight of three-yearold bulls shonld be from 1320-1980 lbs. and that of five-year-old cows from 880-1540 lbs. The head and neck shonld be moderately long and strongly attached, the fore quarter and chest deep and wide, the shoulder long and sloping, and the back straight. A broad rump, long pelvis, regularly formed udder, clean powerful limbs with short pastern, and hard hoofs are also required of the typical red cow of Central Germany. The proof that the Federation is not aiming at impossibilities has been given, according to the writer, by this first show, where a considerable number of animals were exhibited, which have nearly attained the breeder's aim. The report contains pictures of many of the breeding cattle shown. 554 The Slaughter of Cows in Calf and its Influence on Beef Production. BUCHEM: in Deutsche Landwirtschaftliche Presse, Year 40, No. 13, pp. 149-150; No. 14 pp. 159-160. Berlin, February 12 and 15, 1913. In 1910, Dr. Buchem drew up statistics of the number of in-calf cows slaughtered in the Cologne slaughter-house. He extended his investigations to the weight of the uterus, as well as to the weight and age of the foetus. The statistics showd that 16.5 per cent. of the cows were in calf, and most of them were not over four years old. With advancing age, the writer found a decrease in the number of cows in calf slaughtered. The number of cows in calf slaughtered was larger in October and smallest in June The annual average was exceeded in September, November, December and January, from February onwards the number fell below the average; and from July, it again rose notice |