COW-TESTING ASSOCIATIONS

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 11110, 6 May 1911, Page 8

COW-TESTING ASSOCIATIONS

WHAT FARMERS THINK. The value of cow-testing and of cowtesting associations was referred to yesterday at tho annual meeting of tho Wairarapa and East Coast 1 , , and A. Society, held at Carterton. Tho president (Mr. \\*. Howard Booth) said that tlio cow-testing association inaugurated by tho Dairy Division of the .Department of Agriculture at Dalelicld and .at. other centres had proved of the utmost importance to dairy farmers, and also showed how far even a practical farmer can get astray when asked to pick out his most profitable cow. "I don't think nearly enough can bo said in praise of theso cow-testing associations," said Mr. Booth, "and I consider tiic Division and Mr. Singleton deservo our congratulations as a P. and A. society for bringing the testing to such a successful issue. There is no simpler or more effective method l)y which a. farmer can pick out the wasters from his herd than by careful testing. Each successive test has confirmed extraordinary variations. For instance, at Dalefield 22 cows of the best herd produced as much as 38 of tho worst herd; at Stratford, 20 of the best as much as 41 of the worst: at Cambridge, 25 as much as 42; and at Koupokonui, 21 as much as 45. . . . It shows that in tho poorest herds approximately two cows aro being fed and milked for the total butter-fat produced by one cow in the best herd. In another instance it was noted that tho owner milked one .cow 204 days for milk of a money value of only £5 18s. 3d., whereas another cow in the same herd was milked only 143 days for milk valued at £9 10s. 3d.

The following is an extract from the annual report of tho Otago Provincial Council of tho Now Zealand Farmers' Union:: —"Thanks to the efforts of Mr. W. D. Lysnnr, president of the Gisborne branch of the union, this subject (tlio handling of New Zealand produce in England) has, and is receiving a good deal of attention, and the union is hoping that the. united efforts put forth will rosult in considerable improvement in the facilities given foi handling our produce."

The paspalum seed industry is growing in importance on the North Coast of Australia. Ono authority says that this year it equals the value of the maize crop.