COW-TESTING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1356, 6 February 1912, Page 8

COW-TESTING.

ADDRESS BY 11R. SINGLETON. Addressing the. South Island Dairy Associations' Conference, last week on cowtestins, Mr. "WV M. Singleton, of the Agricultural Department said that a little over ten-years ago, when ho first visited Southland and Otago there wero only twenty-uino registered dairy factories; now there were seventy-threo and a steady development had been maintained. The increase in exports had uot been entirely duo to the number of ne\v factories that had been erected, but tho old factories had contributed by increasing their outputs. The basis of the industry was the dairy cow, whose numbers had not increased as much as tho output had done. Many herds wero how doing better than had been tho case in tho past, but he did not suggest that the post principles in connection with the improvement of herds had been adopted. Cow-testing was not the cure-all, bnt it enabled the dairyman to act with better judgment. The first cow-testing association had been established at Dalefield three years ago, and during the first year 800 cows had been tested. The primary object was not really to test cows; but rather to find out how an association could be carried on, and to discover if there was; a necessity for testing dairy cows. Dnring the second EO.ison four additional associations were formed, besides individuals \vho acted independently, and the number of cows tested was 151)1). This year 11,000 cows would -undergo tho test. The idea was taking hold rapidly, but not rapidly enough. Ho mentioned instances where dairymen had been invited to select in order of merit the eight best cows in their herds, and not in any instance had they dono so, which showed that dairymen did not know as much as they thought they did. One man had placed a cow giving 1201b. of butter-fat ahead of ono producing 2101b. Another had preferred one producing 2COlb. to another whose total was 5071b, The best of dairymen had to admit that they could not pick out their best cows. If-eferring to the cost ot production, he instanced a cow producing :i2olb. of butter-f.it and another producing only 1601b. Assuming that the cost of maintaining a herd g(er head was ,£B, the former cow cost 6d. per lb. of butter-fat produced, while the latter cost Is. And 3201b. of butter-fat was not the limit for a cow during a sea«m; they could be made to do better. The average cow produced 22.11b. of but-ter-fat nt n cost of SJd., and that cost could be reduced, which would increaso tho net earnings just as a rise in tho market, would do. He mentioned cases that hud come under the notice of associations. One cow produced 2961b. of but-ter-fat in HO days, and another in the samo herd, with the ?ame fescl and (ho same treatment, produced only 1031b tul in/? was necessary. One than discovered that his herd was producing over 41b. per cow below the average during a thirty-days' period, and that the cau«e S"?, ov i f? s . tock " M ?- He O'Uttl out one: third of his herd, with the result that for the corresponding .period of this vear lie Jjad equalled tho association nvera"o. ■Ihb man had since improved his herd by purchasing good cows, and during one month his average had been 31b." per head better than that of the association ?"ii one , n , Coff ]w <] beaten the average by flnni- •[?* things were necessarv in dealing vitk cows, viz., good breeding pood teedmg, and kindly treatment. One S kUC "' lu,d a k:rd wllich Produced 2101b per cow, or IMb . Ijclow ™« a s t' f o, ]" 5 /! hls , cows hn<l baen sire <i by nullifi V lm? ir- oU "' s anilßa lsl>ad been nullified on. this account. He quotM other instances in support of "2, ?i on ° *. "f 2 , ''I'M, ami later it recoi nf p fi sslble .f<> ol > ta >n not- only the SrsnXr^.^pl.Xrt to>Tra^fetit^t 'awns figures supplied was shown bv niormation which had been supplied to his Department in connection with a purebred Miorthorn herd in KiHand whoso average was only 19311). of bntterlat. whereas our average was 22311). The lolly o importing any of these cows would be at once apparent. Recordsmust Iw available if an intelligent selection is to be made. The influence of Heredity had to be recognised, and the shortest cut towards improving a dairy herd, outsWe paying fancy prices, was to test; to cull, to get a' good bull, and to save the heifer calves. Ho believed rliat the time had come when to build up his herd, a man must raise calves lroni Ins own cows. They had got to get right down to the foundation. Environment was an eriually important factor, and n calf h;«l to be reared properly. Tho tendency now was to increaso the number of weeks that a calf should feed on its mother's milk, and that meant giving the calf a good start in He. More care must be taken of the iiule calf. The cow, too, must have pleniy of feed both when milkin°- and when dry. If well-fed when dry, a cow did not take so long to get to her flush, and she maintained it longer. Records which tho Department had amply proved this. In America, generally speaking, cows are best during the second or third week after calving, but in New Zealand it is soinotiiiK's tho third month before a cowgets to her flush. Tho tendency was to hold tho daily cow too cheaply. One lb. of butter-fat was equal to 31b. of beef, and i<, bullock would produce 21b. of bcof .per day, if doing well, or COlb. per mouth. A cow during the same period would produce 101b. of butter-fat. Therefore it would take two bullocks to equal tho ono cow, and there was as much dry mutter produced in the milk of a cow as could bo produced in tho l»ef of 3 1-3 bullocks in the fame period. Cows do hotter work when they are better treated. Every time a cow was abused, its owner was (inr<d in £ s. d.. just the same as if ho had it deducted from his milk cheque. Dairymen were now becoming more busi-ness-like, and were bent on making, each cow pay her own way. They must get right, down to the unit. It was becoming absolutely in'CCt.?nry that these methods should ]«; adopted in order to mtct the lukli price of land, lie did not «iy that the price of land wins too high, lie was convinced that tho highest priced land in the .Dominion could be made to pay haiulsanicly; it van only a question of cows. Why'had cow-lesting not spread moro rapidly? Because of the different, kinds of vpeoplo who had to be dealt with, but it was a man's duty to himself nnd to posterity to improve the conditions of living. It was only enthusiasts who tested thoir cows singly, and an association was cheapest und Ix-st, and they obtained more accurate result. l !, lie described minutely how nn association was worked, and sbitcrt that the cost, viz., 2s. )>er cow was infinitesimal whan thp benclits derived were taken into consideration. The Department was at all times prepared to promptly reply to anyone seeking information in tho matter.