COW TESTING IN ENGLAND.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1322, 28 December 1911, Page 8

COW TESTING IN ENGLAND.

- AX IMPORTANT STEP. ■'■■ The British Dairy Tarmers' Association Ims'appointe:! a committee to investigate a proposal that the association should undertake a scheme for'the promotion of herd-testing among dairy-farmers, and report what-steps couhl be taken to further the ohject in view. Tho 'Tanner and Stock Breeder," in referring to this "extremely important slop," says: — "Tliero have Ijcen spasmodic efforts on various, occasions and'in difi'ercr.t localities (o set afoot plans for the extension' of milk records in dairy but so far' ivo have not al.Uiilied lo Uuit ideal iiliieh holds the milk record as'thn bysis of live stock improvement in milk pro'diicfion; ' There are societies which encourage it amongst pedigree stock, and in Scotland the Highland and Agricultural Society look in hand the matter, in relation to Ayrshire cuttle, greatly to'tho benefit of bleeders who participated in the movement. In England, however, wohave lagged behind iii a manner which 'is not creditable either to. tho f- resight of those who are in a position to encourage the extension of records or to farmers themselves, who have everything lo gain by keeping thetii. It is lul et tniali that Hie individual utnier of dairy cadis should tnko records of the milk yields of ,his cows. That isgood .as far as it goes, hnd iiffonls him tho personal satisfaction of being enubled to weed out untliTifty nieriibeis of the herd, and to put in (heir places deeper milkers. It also has-the advantage that ho knows which heifers to keep, but it is to ho feared that th<i sale for bulls is not based'vpon that broad principle of milking de-cent which we hope in the future it will he."