[?]ntinuing Search

or Right Cattle [?]r New Guinea

brts to establish a profitable industry in New Guinea extended over many years

lave been somewhat ragged

mco-ordinated in character, ae over-all picture is not dis

ging-

!RE is no beef-export industry i sight, or even contemplated, here is a reasonable hope that, ' gher living standards in the ory demand more meat in the *e diet, the demand will be fully )y cattle-stations which are de ng a European-Brahmin cross, ch pioneering work has been 5 being done in the Morobe dis ?y Michael J. Leahy, at Zenag; e Jepcott interests, at Dunpu, in amu country; and by the cattle n originally established by the sons, at Gusap. important, under-publicised ex ient is now being carried on le Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd., 8,000 acres at Leron, on the r Markham plains, is very successful, enterprising any got the lease some three ago, put Mr. John Robertson arge, and is now experimenting Aberdeen Angus, Shorthorn and i cattle, seeking a cross which itand up to New Guinea’s tropical itions —including diseases —a n d a suitable meat supply.

Increasing Herd

ron Plains Station now has an asing herd of 1,700 cattle, in ng 800 breeding cows, and is r on slowly with the double re ment—the fixation of a suitable , and the establishment of ires to take the place of the ti, natural herbage, seases and pests are being ed. The most persistent trouble wCron (which lies at an aver beight of 650 feet) is the screw •an insect something like the ralian blow-fly, the maggots of h enter the body of the beast, cially the calves. Good results expected from a new smear ment, developed recently in the ed States. here are two problems peculiar ,eron—absence of accessible fresh ;r, and absence of shade. is being provided by bores.

There is abundant water under the flats—but at depths varying from 30 to 250 feet. Windmills pump it into storage tanks.

Extensive planting of shade trees is proceeding. Meanwhile, until they grow, necessary shade for the animals is being provided by artificial screens.

The experiments with grasses are important. Guinea grass, molasses grass and possibly elephant grass may be found suitable, together with what appears to be a very good legume, Contro semea.

“At first, we imported a lot of seed, but some of this local stuff is very good, and may provide the

answer,” said Mr. Robertson. “It is Brahmin country, and a lot more ex perimenting is needed before we can be satisfied with our establishment.”

It appears that the famous Santa Gertrudis strain, from Texas, which is well spoken of now in North Aus tralia, is not regarded favourably in New Guinea. The breeders there think it does not meet the condi tions.

This kind of enterprise calls for a lot of capital. The BGD Company is well endowed. It successfully established gold dredging and a large timber industry in New Guinea; and it could do the same with cattle farming.