Restocking New Guinea

Hints to Would-be Cattlemen

'THIS article was written by J.

J. Toogood, who, before the Japanese invasion of New Guinea, was building up a cattle industry on the Ramu-Markham tablelands. At present he is in Northern Queensland raising stock for the re-establishment of the industry once the Terri tory is re-opened to civilians.

IF a cattle industry is to be successfully re-established in New Guinea, one of the first essentials is a Govern ment research station which should be established at Ramu, Wau or Lae or some other suitable centre, plus a tightening up of the “disease of stock” Act.

With a capable man in charge cf re search, many of the stock owners’ present —or pre-war—troubles would be over come and a geat deal of hitherto un stocked country developed.

In pre-war New Guinea, cattle were run in a haphazard fashion. Owners gave little care or thought to their animals and the Government exercised no con trol whatsoever. The result was that the Territory became a breeding around for all manner of parasities and diseases, many of them unknown to veterinary science. A man who contemplates enter ing the cattle business in the Territory now is warned against doing so unless he is prepared to attend to the stock per sonally and can bring a little scientific knowledge to bear on the subject.

In the past, residents have often im ported the best stock that money could buy but. unfortunately, it was stock totally unsuited to the New Guinea cli mate or conditions. The result was in evitable: heavy losses and falling off of interest on the part of owners.

It is essential that the right type of cattle be imported if good results are to be achieved. A half-Brahma crossed with a Shorthorn or Black Poll is an ideal beef producer under New Guinea conditions; and a half-Brahma crossed with a Fresian or Illawarra is the best for dairying purposes. These cattle will eive much better results than the finer breeds of cattle. They are hardy and will do well in rough country— although, of course, the better treatment they re ceive the better will be the results achieved.

IF the Government is sincere in its policy of assisting the man on the land, whether here or in New Guinea, then I should suggest that they establish an experimental station where intending settlers can get the right class of bulls which have already been acclimatised to tropical conditions. One of the greatest mistakes of Territory cattle owners in the past has been their reluctance to intro duce new blood into their herds; or, if they did not fail in this wav, made the equally bad mistake of depending on some Australian agent to send them a suitable bull. The agent usually complied, of course. But the best-bred bull often could rot stand up to Island conditions and after siring three or four calves would wither away and die.

The general idea in New Guinea was to breed the Zebu out of a herd by im porting good-class southern bulls. But that was "roved to be totally wrong. We have found here in Northern Queensland that by crossing the pure-bred Brahma

bull with the right class of good consti stution Illawarra, Shorthorn or Black Poll cows, and then crossing their heifers back with the quarter-bred Brahma bull, has resulted in a good-class milking cow with sufficient Brahma to stand up to the rough conditions of the Island climate and pastures, and to be, as well, tick resistant.

These cows will give from four to six quarts of milk and rear a good healthy calf on local bush grass that is similar to the New Guinea variety. Here in Queensland we have buffalo fly and ticks to contend with but these cattle are im mune from them, and will remain so in New Guinea.

We have numbers of cattle ready for restocking the Islands. When transpor tation is available it is believed that large herds will be shipped from this district.