30-DAYS' MILKING TEST.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 461, 20 March 1909, Page 3

30-DAYS' MILKING TEST.

AUSTRALIAN METHODS. ~.. V SOME ' INTERESTING FEATURES. Features new to New Zealand vwere disclosed hi a recent milking test conducted , by ' the Kangaroo Valley Agricultural Society of New South Wales. It was a'home-milking test,, like that of llasterton, but extended longer—for 30 days. Perhaps the chief point of interest, though a small one, is the item of-a farthing a gallon allowed for skimmed milk. This is a factor that has not .hitherto crept into the New Zealand calculations, and it raises the debatable'question of what really is the.value of a gallon of skimmed milk. Apparently the cream:- was ohurned, although, from the records to hand,, it is not quite cle?r whether this was done or the butter calculated on'the weight of fat. The cows were judged on the ruling market value of their butter, added to the value of the ..skim milk. ■ What this contest 6eems; to suggest, to New Zealand is chiefly in the direction' of a cheese-cow contest, in which the produce'of each cow should be mado into cheese and valued at market rates, and the cow credited with the value of the cheese and of the whey. There .would be great keenness between: Ayrshire men and Jersey, men over such 'a contest. Ayrshire men cherish the belief'that theirs are the cows for cheese, but the Jersey men say- that the cheese solids are in proportion to the butter-fat, and that < therefore • the Jerseys are really the cheese cows. A contest as suggested would settle the point, and in reality the association, promoting such a fight next season will attract attention. Here is the counting of the Australian contest:— . 1 1 .=• i J • .3 g 3 . -g Lb., milk for3o H * 3 _ days ... 1990 1620 1500 1260 1530 Test, morning 4.0 4.6 4.5 4g' 3 g evening 4.2 4.4 4.7 5.2 i 0 lb. butter ... 90.71 81.92 76.87 70.99 66.07 Gallons ' skim - milk ... ... 189 153 142 n 8 146 Value skim milk, at id. 3/111 3/2} 2/11} 2/5} 3/0} Tot's achievement was a' record for the Kangaroo district, and compares fairly well with New Zealand results. Some for comparison' are as under * Points Day's Milk Lb. Manawatu — lb. j fat. Counting. * ot .■■■ .. ' 2.7183 67.9725 Masterton (Bnrhng) ■ sa}, 3.441 91.575 Carterton "(Feast) ... 57| 2.250 . 62.025 Palmerston (Griffiths ■ and Co.) - : ... '33} 2.270 60.075' inn. he J lall . illvatu counting is one point for each ' fat ° ml^c 25 points for each pound of