DAIRY CATTLE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1692, 21 October 1887, Page 3

DAIRY CATTLE.

(" Australasian," September 3rd.) The dairy cattle milking test was completed on Friday, and tho result showed one of the most extraordinary butter records ever obtained. The contest was for a special prize of £20, and the following were the conditions : — The cows to be milked dry m the presence of tho stewards or judges on the Tuesday night before the chow at 6 o'clock, tbe milk obtained not to be taken into account ; tho test to ex tend over Wednesday and Thursday, the cowt beiDg miiked twice a day. The cream produced during thetivo dnjs waa churned on Friday, when the result was made known. Tbe cream was extracted from the milk m a very satisfactory manner by the De Laval separator, shown by Messrs Rertrain and Sons. The stewards, Messrs John Burst, of Romsey, and James McPhaiJ, of Eseendon — who carried ont tho test, deserve special commendation for the zeal and carefulnes9 with wh : ch they performed their onerouß duties. The prize was won by the cow Daisy, shown by Mr John Bond, of Fairfield, Greenvale, and the yield of butter was 71b 6soz, a record probably never excelled under ordinary conditions m any part of the wo/ld . f i he figures may be thoroughly relied upon, for Messrs Horst and McPhail who are well experienced m each matters, did everything that was necessary to assure a fair and aocurato test Daity is a half bred a yrshire, being by a pure Ayrshire bull bred by Mr Jonn Grant, of Seafield, and her dim was an exceedingly good crossbred dairy cow. She has the red aDd white markings of the Ayrshire breed, and her deicent from the pure stock is plainly shown m her •hape and general appearance. She is a short legged, wide-set cow of medium size, with large square well hang vessel, and the deep flauk, ronnded ribs, and narrow front of the typical milk producer. Tho time for the commencement of the test to the last milking was exactly 46 hours, being exactly 2 hours aaort'of 2 days. The special prize offered for the cow giving the largest quantify of milk was won by the pare Holstein imported cow Dairymaid, exhibited by Mr P. Peppin, of Epping. The cow produotd m 46 hours 1251 bof milk making 41b lljoz of butter, against 107f lb of milk produced by Daisy, the prize butter cow. The competing cows for both priz s — ll m number were nearly all orossbreds. The prize-winner for the greatest quantity of milk was a pure Holstein, as already stated, and there were one or two pme 'Ayrshires, but the others were crossbred b It will be seen that the Holstein came second as a butter producer. Air W. H. Dnnstan's crossbred oow Bose came third. The fourth record for butter was a very nico crossbred of good shape and medium size, producing 31b 13oa of butter from the 6ame quantity of cream as that of the prize cow An examination of tho record test will Bb ow that there was great variation m the quality of the cream obtainod from tLe different cows The grand champion prize for the best dairy cow or heifer m milk was decided before the milking test had been completed, bo that the record had no influence upon the decisions. The prize was awarded to Mr It. Buchanan's Ayrshire cow Cockey, a very handsome red and white, by Count, dam Beauty, by Fred. She owes her name, no doubt, to her cooked horns, which are thin, ai m the Ayrshire breed. She is one of the old* fashioned Ayrshire-, with grand vessel, and all the characteristic points of the breed, but rather more beefy on the quarter than the best specimen* of her class. Mr Poppin's Dairymaid, producing the largest quantity of milk m the test, was highly commended ; and Messrs William MoNab and Bros' Ayrshire heifer Primrose, of Oakbank, was commended. The following is the result of the milking tost:-

Net lb O'm. Butter. Milk. lb lb oz Mr Bond's Da'gy 107| 13 7 11* Mrropp:n'sDttirynißjd „ „ 123 11 4Hf Mb W. II- D\inßtau'd Hose . . 02 7 4 7 Mr Woodmasoii'e Lily .. .. 89 12 3 13 MrPeppin's Jeesy 50A 5} 3 « Mr W. H. Dunstan'o Beauty .. 46.$ 4 3 Ij Mr Buchanan's Cocky .. .. 69} 8 8 l{ Mr. J.H. Connor's Prld« o' Beetc 65? »A 3 0} Mr J. W. Dunstan's Verbena .. 62| 6 2 13 Mr J; H. Conaor'i Pride o* Cororooke ... „ „ .. (7 6» 3 Bi