PROFITABLE DAIRYING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1523, 20 August 1912, Page 10

PROFITABLE DAIRYING.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS ON 30 ACRES. ■\Vlrcn cooperative dairying first came into voguo' in Xew Zealand a return of from M to .£lO per cow was considered good, nnd there aro probably a good number of herds in tho country to-day that do not yield more. Testing ami culling, however, have been adopted by the progressivo dairymen, and the individual and average production of their herds has increased enormously. The good result of careful culling'is ciilminative, for it is not limited to (jetting rid of the poor producing cow 01. the day, but is naturally having the effect of. improving the class of heifers which are each'year taken into ;the herds, for the veriest novice in dairying keeps tho heifer calves from his best butter-fat cows to fill the places of tho "boarders." Tho uplifting of tho general -standard of production is not perhaps as great as might at first sight be expected, for the rapid extension of the industry often, compels those who are entering the ranks to make a start with whatever cowe are available, with the object of later on weeding out tho unprofitable ones. An example of what can be done on a small daily farm with good management is 'given by the Auckland "Star," which publishes the -returns obtained from Mr. T. Brownleo on a 30-acre holding at Pukekohe. Mr. Brownlee's herd consists of 13 grade Jerseys, the milk from which is sent to a local creamery. Details of the return are:— ■ ■ - RETURN FROM 13 GRADE JERSEY COWS, SEASON 1911-12. ' Test lbs. , per butter■lb. milk. cent. fat. £ s. d. July 17-31 2,085 5.05 105J Aug. 1-15 3,677 1.77 175J ' 280J at 1/2J-16 18 11 Aug. 15-31 5;319 4.64 246J at 1/IJ-13 17 0 Sept. 12,198 4.4G SJUJ Oct., 12,792 4.46 571j Nov. 12,182 .4.66 5681. Dec. 11,605 4.83 560J Jan. - - 9,886 4.8 . 474J Feb. 6,08-1 5.05 337 Jlaroh 6,079 5.7 3-16$ m. April 5,131 5.5 281J May 3,838 5.75 221 Average Test 4.84 S9oßi at 1/04 205 12 0 Total lb. butter-fat 44351 236 711 Average per cow for 13 cows 341.15 18 S 8J Pigs sold 31 9 7 gross Less cost of pigs and food ;.. 71311 . ' m 15 8 net Calves 41 10 0 ' 65 5 8 5 0 5i ■ Total return per cow £23 il} Mr. Brownleo's farm comprises 30 acres, of which this season 24J acres were in grass (five acres of which were cut for hay), 2 acres in maize and sorghum, 3 acres in potatoes, and half-acre in buildings and garden. In addition to the 13 cows, a horse and a bull were also kept. Five years ago—that is, for the 1906-7 season, Mr. Brownlee ran a herd of ten Shorthorn cows, when 26J acres out of the 30 were in grass (of which 4 acres were cut for hay), 2 acres were planted' in. maize, 'and 1 acre in potatoes. The 6eason was a particularly good one for* grass,'and the returns from tho herti were as follow:— RETURN- FROM 10 SHORTHORN COWS, SEASON, 1906-7. ' ' per . lb. cent, butter-fat. Aug. 6,0261b. milk of 3.85 ... 232 Sept. „,-,;,. ,;,,9.7051b. ' „ > 3.60 ... 349J , Oct. ■■■ 13,0161b. „ 3.67 ... 478? Nov. 12,6681b. „ 3.77 ... .477} Dec. 11,7091b. „ 3.75 ... 439 Jan. 9,9501b. , 3.80 ... 378 Feb. 8,9351b. „ 3.67 ~. 328 March 9,2311b. „ 3.85- ... 358} April 8,2451b. „ 3.92 ... 323J May 7,3071b. „ 1.10 ... 299J S664Jlb. 366.41b. butter-fat. By the above figures it will be seen that 24J acres (including the area in hay), wit. 2 acres of maize, carried 13 Jeisey cows for 10i months.'which on an average test of 4.84 gave 443511b. of butter-fat, while 26 acres (also including area in hay), and tho same acreage of maize, carried 10 Shorthorn cows, which for about tho some period on an average test of 3.077 gave 3666411b. of butter-Sat. For the season, the Jersey pows averaged 341.15, and the Shorthorns 3GG.4Ib. of butter-fat.' When it comes to examining the total amount of butter-fat produced on the farm, the following results are given:— 13 grade Jersey cows 443511b. 10 Shorthorn cows 366411b. Showing an advantage of 7711b. .in favour of the Jerseys. FRUITGROWERS , CONFERENCE. PROCEEDINGS OPEN TO-DAY. Tho annual conference of the New Zealand' Fruitgrowers' Association is to bo opened in the lecture hall of tho Do-i minion Museum to-day by the Prime Minister. An extensive order paper has to bo traversed and the'proceedings will last over two days.