THE LECTURES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1477, 27 June 1912, Page 8

THE LECTURES.

PLATFORM FULL OF EXPERTS. COAY-TESTING. To-day a. number of addresses to agriculturists were delivered iu tho Lecture Hall to fairly large audiences. Air. James Burgess, of AYaren, Taranaki. delivered a paper entitled "The Benefits of Individual Cow-testing to. a. Farmer.'' . Air. Burgess said that the object of tho pappr was to show what could be done with tho ordinary herd by the ordinary farmer, without* anv expense worth talking about. He thought New . Zealand wa.s being left behind in the matter of cow-testing, and said 1 hat it was surprising that so few progressive farmers had adopted the system. Nothing els? would increase the value of a herd at, such littl? cost, and without it. a herd could not be 'built on right Tines, and no improvement could be relied on. He bad built up a most satisfactory herd by testing. In six years he had not bought a single high-priced cow. Speaking of his first year's testing, he said that the cost to him had worked out at about 3s. per cow per year, which amount included an allowance for time spent, and which gave a return of at least 300 per cent. Tho total delay to the milkers was not more than 10 minutes for every ten cows. At the end of the second year he got 2311b. of fat from every cow, an increase of 121b. per cow; and nt the end of the third year lie worked out the average at 2-lllb. Tho average was now 2(11 lb., which represented an increase of 6.11b. in five years, and this had been done without buying a single milker at more than .CIO. Latterly, lie had not bought much new stock, he having becoiuo convinced that there was nothing better than breeding from one's own selection, and building up from something with a milking strain behind it. A fanner who culled without testing was working very much ii| the dark. AVhon he was keeping only cows, hi- return- were Hi per coal, less than they wc'iv now that lie was kf<-ping all the heifers which were necessary. While working on these lines lie had not had a single case of abortion or ot contagious disease on his farm. Some Taranaki land, Air. Burgess remarked, was not as rich now as it had been soine years ago, which, he said, meant thai tho farmers liad really been selling their land piece by piece all the time, instead of which they olight to have been improving it. the average production per New Zealand cow was set down at ISOlb. of butler-fat per year—he, personally, found that I he average was nearer lfiOlb. or 1701b.. where he had Ix-en able to trace it—and if every farmer cnuhl raise the figure to 2101b. it would, of course, be a good thing tor the farmer; but what a great thing it would be for the country! Air. Burgos? "aid that, the .Agricultural Department had, done good work in .Tilingl cow.testins sjforiation?, but. lis atk'd if it would u'ot b« poitiblo for the. De-

pill'luioivl: is appoint an niiiror to oc- ' ca-iomill,y lit In:•!!> whtM<f tol-im' was' being lioji.o, l-n chvok (he wiirk ">:f I-lie farmer, Tlie farmers t»nM fm' ;i snrail mm towards (lie cost ftp visit?. !,lc advocated that societies should hiiye oij]]!]iet'i'!..itiii-s- tolt.'iy for In ilk prnductioil.

On (lie ssvlijeet of livectVs, lit snid lliat it ninazed hi.ni to lienr peuivic wl.io were always tlunkiii.H ot- ereaUntt new broei.iis. These |ii\ipl" ie.cmeii" to iliiii!; ("liat iiy ci-tws-hroeiiin;: a-ii.il iii.v'iltli-iifr -nji over many years they (>pii-!.d iirofi'ircy i-i.-iim (he few- .-niufShiii-.' wiiieh was tiiit; lit (hein, Mr. U.uv.sess was. a.p.pi.attd.eil fo r h.i,s paper. Xir. I), (.'ii.tl.ilie (Xinv Z,.a.!.n:d Dairy Coi-.i■>.!i-.~i.<n<-v, -laieil tlial jt li.'a.s a paper li.ie-li -sho'iil'd'. Iii 1 ' jilaeed i.a ih.i'. hmills of i'Vcry i'.i-.iry former in New fteaIntnl. "THE STORY OF A PASTURE." I!RH.iM.i!>T H JWIT.i;. Tito f.!<iver.ii.i.in'iit' iiic>iij|(.i..~t (Mr. If, Cockaynej tea'ti' a. whicli lib ita.tn.ej "The Stc-ry ef .a Pasture." Mr. Coekfiyi've .saiii. tliat the? most -irnporliint asjpi \i'» pu.ssesieii -,va.- ;cin' ■.-ra-s lands. Lar;r'e- art'a.s Were. iHin'.iiaii.y I;rins laid down into gras.s. where previpiisiy there had oitlv been native vegetiviian, and the studjyCit' t ; li:e i-i'fil.aeenyc'nt a-rliriei.iaily of one typj! of vc.Ket.Tt'ib.n for ■a , ncti\e.r was scientifically.' a iuattei: ef the u.tw.st moment. The ?peaker .-then dealt, with forest and _g"r:ai.s, ri.s. t-iie t-.vo pyea't types of vegetatjiosu Wit.li. fiie (frass lands of o,evv Zeal'aiiil.; ljtcailmvs and -iiustiircs; forrsfc.lii'iict snjln'bln fo.i- grns.i; d?yeiopment; the gras'ses. whi -it were, -it?!• ised; the diffeß'nee be.!-ieen the European and the American meihojs of forsninj; p-tslure; iiiipure .-»ed. a-s !hc> source of tlie weed trouble.': and llie clte.ngo i.n t'lie 'Con'stituents .of a :p'a?t-nro. Mr. Cockayne -s'aid- that- as a pcneral rule it wns a.ilvisable to lil.an-t frifS.t. -a. new to seeufinij' ii mixed- ;i'asfttre.. .its ground wemitj trafrwofo iila-ii'ts if ll'ieiilanls were -af: tlift'c-roi'it i-'iol.iiij,. levels. He .'.aid thai fill 1V ii iiie-tcivt lis of (lie nlien weed's -now here !iad ji'ctiially been paid, "for by fa-.i-iners-, ivii.o had thoticrhl ■lha.t.'thev were biiJri.ijS l piirn' grass seed. * Mr. Cockayne- initires-e'd !-Jie necessity of' farmers buy.iijtf liivth'in.sr bitt the-- biji'iiest ftrade anil flip jiurr-i ss.d. A reeeut sample of w.h.i.eli!■ ii.at! b'ce.R seiVl: to liim to test cpiitaiiii'd' 12- ikiitd's cif weedseeds. New ■Zea'iin.id si'ed cienniii? -jilants were amoiiir the finest found anywhere. Cheap seed: wii.s always bull, rnul tlte iise, oi bad seed was t'ie ntost e'spen'Siivr:' policy a f.a.iin'icr coi.il'd ; ationf. .(Apidaiisc.).

FOR CLEAN MILK. KEKD FOi! r.AKK OK MACK INK?. , Sir. C. Stevenson fHairy Instructor) addressed the gathering on "Milking .Ma, chines and: .How: t.o Keep The'iii Clean/" Air. SteWiiisoit. said, thai iiiilkiiii* iiiachines whicli .had Von allowed; to get dirty were (lie chief fa"-o nf the inferior, bad-flavoured, niilk wji'i.c.ji.. was spiii'.et.'iiiies:' delivered io. factories. tie had, in the course of his duty, traced bad n.iiik back to the unclean machine on n'inipsi; every occasion that :CO'm'piai'nts ha'ii bren nnrde to him. It was sometimes dißic'ul.r to convince dairymen tha» their rejected milk was bad, but he,, advised; such farn!ers to place: more faith in their factorv managers, and to endeavour t.n find out tho cause of the ti-oiibie. 'When if was considered Hiat mil!;, drawn through a dirty niacin uo;;Yvns 1 iable 1 to rontainiiiatp a whole vat of milk-, the -.en'nii.s..e-s nf the po.-ition : was oiiviotis. li'-ilavnurcd milk was a. gi'oat ;i)ve.nace i:G tlie iiuliistvy, and tho rcmmly was to keep this lniicliines clean. Tli? fir.-}, tiling' nccessarV for clpanliness VaS ; :.a. .ijl.eiii'i'ful siippjv if water.. Tli»rp should be .an i>itelli?ont .daily eleaninsr, and tiir rubber' parts should be bailed pv'erv day. A.boiiei .far hot water should i>e installed close to the place where:"the ■ liiachi.ne's. .we're elenhetl, as if water: : lia'(!'..'. : to'.:!ie fphyev.pd' soivi'e (lis, tancc it cookedA : ITe diti': not wish Io '.'.coti.deniti." ,mlJk.ing nia'.piiiiies,. but said thoj... if: propor 1 y cleansed, the:. m.T'hine wouhiV.b'e'-aS .s.afisfiic.t.brv ai'han'it-. milking. MR. C. J. RF.AKES. "DISKASES 01- I)All!Y STOCK." . Some Discnses Cati'-y ..Stp.ck," was the 1 title of the- 'ailaTpVs, : .,giy c11 by: jfr„ ,J; ; . lieakes (State Chief Air. Hpiikps-.rbi'griitniati'd the Xatio"al Wairv A?-inia 1 ioii, .and all tiui.-e in the dairying, o:> tiu- verv iviis season rpcentiy er.ded. The iuctu>trv, he said, was expanding and iinproving.'-till, and was going. to become yet. more hicrative. ITo felt; very that there, was a. groatV/fli't'u're for-, tSic; imlust'rv. In some districts rerontiy they had confronted yvi tli a ;cn.rj'6us iiisea-e, Jvhi'cir as thought: to, p6:*sibl Vj bV 1 a-- serious' contagious troiible. svnipfffih win. an enlargement on the -iilo.near :iie r 'ib>. anil another thing was that the aramal would get very cramped, aiid' waik in « mo.j curious way. oxntnination.; had revealed., that tile liin>j> y,as. ebficiv than had be'eh-.in'i'agiiie'/l'i Tt ivas als'o discovered that- if jtho; Oow-s. vy tTO .dos6d wit ir phosphate of iron they recovered, and li.at if the ow.nei;.;ni'aiUired his land with basic slag_ he.got nil of the trouble. The can-e of the. troul)le was thai life land had l»en denuded of phosphoric acid, and'the cettlo nail, been .simpSy wa-tiiig awav, wild iil"tiniately would have died. There w'ns; : dontiliu'qil Jir.v stii.i a considcrabld-arijoimt of niarninith's. aljotie It was somehiiies, : ditHciil't to know when mammitis was contagious, but if in doubt they should'jrca'fc'tlie .trouble as one '.vfiich was likely to spread'anion? the bed To be certain, the farmer couid bottle ioirie, ot the affected cow's milk, am! f en<! it to tho Department , for 'an opinion ' on it. !■ armers needed .to' bo coiis.'ta'uflv obsei'.vaiU about these matters, if the'v had milking nutchmes, bacauie. Av.itlV niac'iiii.'i.'s it was easy to ovc-rkok the, aifocteil cow No satisiactory treatment of cure bv injection had been discovered ; tile ol'd : treat?' ment with ljqrncic aeiil:.was s.tiir the fe ■*" Mr, lieakes (heu referred to the stibiiict of contagious; He -saM' thiit" iw thought that farmers, were hew ili've ("o the dangers MMs* hdArarlipil tnem against' slaekenihg' off ii'h .their' 'if. forts agaihst .it.. ' ' '

Once more : tl:e lecturer sr/oko on t'.hpi culosis. at wii.ie.li snbje.-f. h„ h,. hl . tended io keep lihinsiVeniif? ?wn'v us" lo Is•'1 s •' as was neee?«ary. 'J'he ,!;>e:i,.e, |„, s (, t „ : T was costing - v lie .c.ou.ni.ij much more it should b-" a:loiyc,-! t Q t:0S (. Tlw nerctnU age ot affected: .pigs .•len'iiUv ir.f.-v.K. in? in tome .districts, ihbiHi it ws? creasing in offer .riiMricts, The'ifWsK'Uot this diseaio. had ;tp. .be; fi'opiierl. There was an easy,, a® tfittfihWnoif'sff. way of prev.'!it.n:c ii. Mr. (0; n >; Commissioner), iliail fold him that , K ;. had a pnsteii.rjsi.i.ig: .plant w-hieli was +& effective, and: .t!ii> fSjjb .of the wofkiift o« lvlnclrwos small.. ' ' hn '' ti! - ? for his MR. CUODIP. topics op sp.Ecr,u:, txtkijept. Several m.-itlers to whicft > P ecial at!ention might be a.fvei: tlftHiic the r.es! ie,ison were dealt wi.ih by tile I).,i rr C r ri ln L missioner (Ji.r. J); CiixWie); DiirniK the <.-(>■!r. r o cf t!si« paper lie urged that pvoducefs -houJu ~,,t nifiUo qunntiij- the first toiisideiatioji, 'but m-nt always endeavour .fe giv,, value io .- (ho pnees received., 'Hie present: time wa« very ojiporluiit .foi? jt s:pec.i'es of "stocktaking, (ir rxaiuinnlic.'i, iviili j, view i () determining sv.iat I ho iveak p.ur.N n'f the imlu-try are.. Si was not nftiv irtv C e.«aTV to turn out an. avricle. orruftl lo'. .'nr insl ■' life licltef}' tfan. (lik eNhaWed bv coiniK'tttofs, but Uieriv miist lift a'. d"te ,: - iimh'ml effort l-a u.iji a gradn-vi' iin luwement aiong !h,< line, "'ivl-e ffi not. lie was -lii'ry to .-.n, i )t e.n that Really HnproveiiKi'.it which r.K -b o:Id i )r . "'i* "■ ," :i f tiriic- (Ij.ai iia. iti'tinitim Kiven lor high quality etVi'rvp 011 fhft J.ondon market., thoiuh. I.i" v'er'v inril 0 see why this' should be so.' A linn; ol detects h:i.il- lieen notrcoii' in t~-,. i season's cheese, the ehiet being mie to impurity vii'. 'ii portion p ; j- h, from whitli tlu? f, : hif.pse \V;k jjiavlo jo a cerUhl ' tfa f "over by he a( optwii! hi a -y.,.„,.. ~f ~r m| il lg null; and p..:v.vingi: .ltd- i.t ae.eordiii" tiT cuahly. Tlii-re wa- i.i.n:t ni.ji.;-h Jk.ihi of "lis being ngr.eeil Jo .iiisj ihhv, bid if. would have to lie ca.reCuliiy cimJdprei! later. In Ihe iiieiurliioe, fli.W viiiiihi have, lo make, more iise o:f ihe pie-eiil' ev-te.m of dairy instruction.., Tiii'.s woufdv' however, live .■ v| oi (i fu-•ni «V more men tlm v-«iat pfeeiit nil the stafl. The eompeti.f'ioir iinw fssistiirg, in districts betwpen: ilaify facfiirie-., j.l'eserved -prion- rri'ivri'i"n.i-n.Ci»ii;,-* and -hoiiiil hp discouraged as mueh. As possibie, H" ixml'l not r-a why tif r .-i \ v C j, m , p?tition .yfoducers iu tliis vtf i :

it -ff;jii(! I.n Ivim So I# i|fiili! wmiv". Surely .v;nm< aiTangciuo.i.i-l i.'Mi.l'l lir viU'.iiV by ivhicli- I'l.ie niiiit" .ilmii • n'lii lit- k'-i'--i/ iiml u Ij i'l cii luii-f |ny v;i l.fiil. Tim r(il.;';:l'ii y i;t : the m-ilk w;fs ;i'ii;i;- dijwi'i. and, fiifihfri,' Ijii'iiicrs Were. mii. {{i'-lliiiy the

;111i'io price as Wan paid in (K'trieU 'viuTi.•Oii.i.pi'l'HiiiH did. istil -ixM.

'i'!).«i;i> were -"Vi'iiil pi-,.riils of impsir!* ■alive id !?'■ cnifjili'lM'll in rrlil.f.jim l-.-o cheeso* Till! grcal-p.sl. i:in■ slio-.iil.ii. I'm? ■(illicit In See (')iai elreo.-.<> ii>as eralcd iii fill.' fight it'iKjc, ,;i111! W:w ilili jaininei! ill ii;','ll(, ik Ivas al. .jirespjTi I'ri.'.qii.tqi.ijy liiil.if'. M-iiny cheeses I'ii.ml arrived at I'l.'lini 1 iii a yen: l.i.;ici riuulMidit iiwi.ii.>; In ill' this phiiii.. the liii=l lTfi|.ifi?iii!y st.ii'lciiijj In-? tn 1 lie vial aiid inliinl.aanl-. Tllii ■ Of- skim iTic.d. milk ( 1,,'1-C >i)iia.irl no! lie eiii'i'iiii'a'.'j'i.iil, as :il .ciiUld jiaf dis any jpiwt in (lie I'rp'il'.iliiil! «( .Nrtf Z-t'iilalliL pr:)d i.Ut. Kii fiiv as Iml.i.er h'ii.s iiiiin'oriied', iiie qlialKy iuid iii'O.ll ivr-.l'l. illij.isf.li'ii'iiics!, ;iilHits standard tfa- im-,v li.i«Jiei' (Ivan i.'vH' lie.rsii'e. Tliero Iraii lii.e'ii n lit!!■» "l.i.slijlicss."—a (ii.'i'ci'.i vliirii rflt.ild. .i;i?. aii.soii'ilety worconre i!' eiivn »'ej'ii laikiMi iii p.|'i;yeni iivLM.'-i|poi.ie..ss of l.lie' ercim'.. !Uv iim'i paused caroi'avl i;i!.r|.u;irie.s to !» inailo in Lrtiiilon coiiGei'ni'ni; (lie )iri>ii:i-al in iii.•I it wte a in. w ' .-npi'i'liiie" fur hnl.. ii)r, !l'lio oniv.foil of lueiTiiai,!- was dh-'i-liiil. 'nut Sat! lr.ii.ii'iit.v fi:cmnl |i> lie ,i?ai'.;>t tin: pr.ipii-al. iii view nf Ihfl eyide.nce to .hifi.idi lie tliil ntit. Ilniil-; i.biif; it would lxo' xv'iie to nisku nny clvinige at pre.-j'tif.

Mr. O'uiltlfe's papc.p w-iis briefiy ■jLiscus.sed, nnti it «'as Hecfcied (bit t'lic ir.oi inn of iti - .. jfitj'S, seetfitdeil by Mj\ S'infilairii*-

"Thnt th? giving effect, ju the iiiimriliato future,- of Mis pi-'iposai of the llepartliient, us afliri.iied hy tlio last '.conference', is not rio\v u'ppcrHitiOj awl. tlfa't ths qlitsHost of cstnljlisiviiig .a superfinn grade bo delayed,'" It : vas also -decided to m:omt'lienil the Departmi'tii to- take sieps to pi't'vi'iH the expai 'ation. of skiinnietl illi Ik. t'lieeH'..

Tin- Dairy CtminnV'inner, i:; reply In a ■tiiiesiio'is,. sta'teil fliiit tl.iere' wit's one sliipnii'iit (if this L'lieese in store iit: preH'itt, find lie iii!(l_e.rst'oo.d t'li.a'.t a'not.he'r was colliiiii; for'.Mtr'i. A isearty vole of thanks n;t.= pa-seil lo .M ; r. Ondtlio' ftif his iuUlresS,