Cattle For The Tropics

THE world’s most widely distributed variety of dairy cattle is the Jersey, due to the fact that they stand up to all conditions either of heat, humidity or extreme cold. Their milk is the richest of all breeds, the average butter fat being S l /2 per cent., nearly double that generally con sidered as standard in big cities.

Within the Jersey breed certain blood lines have been developed to produce milk with butter fat high above this average, and those of Bellefaire Farm (N.S.W.) average round about 6 per cent.

Bellefaire Jerseys are wholly based on imported blood, and are notable both for type and produc tion.

Except in Fiji the dairy industry in the Pacific has not yet been developed up to a high standard.

Residents in other islands, however, are also en titled to have fresh milk and this should be available wherever groups of Europeans are as sociated. Even if common cows are kept for the purpose it should be realised that the use of a Jersey bull, backed by high average butter fat production, will increase the butter fat average of the whole oj his female progeny.

Everyone, especially women and children, should have fresh milk for its health-giving qualities, and if only for this reason alone the question should be investigated. Mr. Walter Burke, the proprietor of Bellefaire Farm, whose advertisement appears in this issue, will gladly advise readers on this subject.*** Rev. F. H. L. Raton, Presbyterian minister of Deepdene, Victoria, will resign at the end of the year to accept the invita tion of the trustees of the John G. Paton Memorial Fund to work in the interests of the trust in Great Britain. He is the son of the late Dr. John G. Paton, whose name is outstanding as a Presbyterian pioneer of mission work in the New Hebrides, and in whose memory the Mis sionary Fund was created. Mr. Paton, who is one of the best known ministers in Victoria, was born in the New Hebrides and did valuable work as a missionary there.