YIELD TESTING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 596, 26 August 1909, Page 8

YIELD TESTING.

WILL WOODVILLE JOIN IN? , At tlio opening of n new clicoso factory at Woodville Inst week, Mr.:.Ross; M.P., urged the suppliers'to join iii tho .yield-test-ing movement, 110 said ho raised tho question in tho House of Representatives two sessions ago b,v n question, wliich was thus ronorted in "Hansard" as follows: — •Mr. Ross (l'rthiatna) asked tho,Minister for Agriculture, Whether lie will arrango to have a comprehensive system - introduced of testing and recording tlio milk-yield of any cow nominated for entry in a district dairy-herd bookP [Note.—Dairying will always bo an important factor m tho. prosperity of tho Dominion. It is thereioro our-duty to . see from timo to tiuio what further can bo. dono to advanco the industry. A * lot of cows now being milked nro.'only ■ "wasters," yet thoy are passed on .year, after year from ono person or district to another,' wasting food and tiino, and producing a juvciiilo waster every year, which will in duo course cuter tlio liclu of wastors and, further propagato tho species. By establishing il comprehensive system of recording and testing tlio .milk-yield of any cow or cows nominated . by suppliers tlio."waster" would in timo : disappear. Those cows reaching a certain standard would bo ontercu ill a milking-cattlo register, with their records; Owners of registered cows would, •put them to bulls of milking character,.' : and not. only'would tlio heifers bo or special value as'milkers, but tlio young ' bulls would be in demand by dairyfarmers desirous of improving tlio milking propensities bf t'heir herds. Owners of cows failing to qualify for registration;;' would not bo ablo to pass them 011 to . others, but would have them speyed and . ■ fattened for slaughter.] • " . • "The Hon. R.i M'Nab (Minister for ; Agriculture) replied, The Department is . ' not prepared, to deal with this . matter:.', ; in the method suggested at:the present time, but the Dairy Inspectors lately, appointed will bo instructed to advise, and : . assist : dairymen , as far as . possible - to, ; improve their.herds. step in tho . right direction, and would . enable .'wasters' to bo eliminated from . the. herds if dairymen were to weigh :each - dow's, ;milU! .at every milking." .•>. i' .

•Mr.- Ross: told, his> Woodville' audience he was sorry.-' that the Hon..: Mr. > M'Nab; 'had. ,rio't;-seen the matter in such an important' liglitVas' he, saw': it/ and ho ' was'.glad''-thai tlio Hoii. T. Mackenzie, the. liew-iMinister, was .progressive enough tojtake lip the,project:'' '; The Minister was now: negotiating with several factories in the Wairarapa. with ■that object. He (Mr. Ross) would: suggest that/the suppliers, of the' Woodvillo factory should form themselves'into' a testing and in three years .. they would- be rid of tho useless cows that had been hanging on, or . passing from one person to another.