THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1391, 18 March 1912, Page 8

THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY.

ADDRESS BY THE DA IKY COMMISSIONKIf. Some, interesting remnrks on the progress of tiio daily industry were made by Jlr. D. Cmltliu, chief of the Dairy Division of tho Agricultural Department dur- , ing the course of an address at >Jireaha ' last week. , ■ Owing to tho quantity and quality of 'New Zealand cheese, now manufactured, said Mr. Cuddie, as per the Kketahuna "JOxpress" report, this product had a great inihienco on the London market and while its manufacture snowed signs of a largo increase there was no indication that thu extra production was likely to swamp the market. Tho consignments of cheese sent from the Dominion reflected the j greatest credit on those responsible for its manufacture and those who supplied the milk. However, there were still faults 'in the products and it was important '.that suppliers should do their best to objvinte these. The flavour of some cheese [was not what it should be and the responsibility for this rested largely with dairymen who supplied impure milk. As time, went on no doubt improved sanitary conditions would prevail in sheds, the value of which could not be too highly estimated. It was important that dairymen should introduce facilities for cooling milk if the quality of cheese was to bo maintained. The cheese manufactured this year was better than that of last year, duo to tho cooler nights experienced. It was the average quality which regulated the price of a product m the Home market. Tho pasteurisation of skim milk and whey was an important innovation as.it not "only had a bearing on the product manufactured but on the live stock on the farm by preventing the spread of disease. Pasteurising prevented the return of undesirable taints to tho factory and those- factories that had introduced it could bo commended on their enterprise. The Cow-testing Movement. Of all the developments the most important was the initiation of cow-lestin;; and if it became general much larger profits would bo made nut pf the business than at present. Testing was developing as was shown by the fact that when associations were first introduced four years ago, only 'about SOO cows were treated, whereas this year fully 20,000 cows were being tested by the different associations. The average upkeep of a cow for the season, including labour, interest, depreciation, etc., was put down at ,£B, and if no more than tin's was produced it followed the dairyman was making nothing. Last year tho average, cow in the best herd tested by an association produced 3201b. of butter-fat, which after charging J:S against the cow, with but-ter-fat at Is., showed a profit of (id. per lb. Tiie average cow in the worst herd produced only ltiOlb. of butter-fat, which absolutely left no margin of profit. The best cow for a UO day period, left the owner a profit of &[ 15s. !)d. for the period. The worst cow's product was worth only 2s. 3d. It was now generally recognised that it was impossible to gauge the true value, of a cow unless by i tho process adopted by tho Testing Associations. Jlr. Cuddie referred to a member of an association who was in the habit of patronising saleyards for his cows, who, up till the middle of I'cbriiary this year, had culled out 28 per cent of his herd and was fattening them for the butcher. The benefits of testing associations were further elaborated on by the speaker emoting one herd, the owner of which, bv : finding out the dulYcrs and culling, had i reduced his average of Jib. below tho ! association's figures last year to Jib. this ' season. , Mr. Ciiddio emphasised the neI cessity of purchasing purebred bulls and retaining tli3 heifer calvos from th-s best cows. Ho instanced two members of an association to demonstrate his paint. Both were good breeders and treated their cows kindly, rearing the calves from their herds. One u.-ed a purebred bull and the other a mongrel. Last year the averago yield r>f the cows was 2931b. and 210 lb. butter-fat respectively, ft difference of 8.")lb. a cow, or .£1 /is. at Is. per lb. for butter-fat. Wi ; ;h a herd of forty cow.' the man using the purebred bull would have made iu n. year .tIGS more than the other man. Them seemed a geueril inclination among breeders to go in for 1 pedigree bulls, which was a good sign. He hoped to see testing extending, espeeiially among breeders of pedigree stock. ' In concludimr Mr. Cuddie contended that 3 for every shillim; expended in testing the 3 dairyman got .£1 in return.