COW TESTING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1706, 25 March 1913, Page 8

COW TESTING.

NOTES BY AN EXPERT. Tho extension of tho cow-testing movement this season has, in tho opinion ol Mr. AV. M. Singleton, Assistant Government Dairy Commissioner, been gratifying," and bears splondid ovidenco to tho fact that dairy-farmers arc improving their hci'ds, and are _doing ?o by building on sonnd basic principles. There nro sonto twenty associations in operation this season; and already thero aro others mooted for next season.

Tho associations represent tho testing of somo 25,000 cows this season. Thoso monthly tests prove good educative factors taken in tho right way.. Tho dairyman has a chance, to get a better idea of cow-nature, and interesting avenues of thought 'aro open to tho dairyman who is a student. . .

Possibly tho matter which puzzles somo cow-testing association members is tho variation wJiich occasionally occurs in tho individual tests of a cow. This seldom applies to many cows of tho herd, it being tho I 'general experience that tests do not.' vary, 'inoro than three or four; tenths ;froni.inoiith.;to month. Still, somo cows do vary very considerably at .times, and over 1 per cent, of variation may bo evidenced in tho' tests of certain cows over two consecutive periods.-"This does not indicqto. ':thatvtho; testing, is wrong, for -there is amplo evidence' that such 'variations occur where the strictest care is taken with tho sampling and testing. Further than this it is the Department's experience that even where the sampling and testing nro right, whero tho cows are milked punctually on ; the stroke of the clock, and where cows arc treated kindly and never hurried —evqii ■ under theso' ideal . conditionsvariations of over 1 per cent, on the Babcock bottle are to bo found occasionally in tho test of a few cowa.between two.consecutive • months.- '

Such .suggest that cowtesting is not'-sufficiently- reliable for tho dairy-fariner, but, Mr. Singleton adds, wo believe it evidences that fact that ono or two tests.'only. fur tho season may bo very misleading, and that tests should bo mado at regular intervals,' monthly, during, tho whole lnctatioh"pea-i3d to ensure.good results. With a number of tests variations tend to counteract themselves. .In .any case it iriust bS.'remombered that very few memb&s have oven: one cow showing the extreme variations indicated above. _ ' A comparison of cow-testing association returns" and. factory returns for tho season are interesting. In one association' it was found that 'for tho whole season tho average cow in that association was credited with 101b. of fat moro than that for which the factory paid. This 101b. would, says Mr.-Singleton, bo accounted for by tho following considerations:— . . (1) We credited each cow with yield from date of calving, whereas this cow's inilk would not,bo delivered at the factory for three or four: days. (2) Our yield'for season includes nylk fed to calves.'"The factory return dees not.

(3) Our return includes milk used by the household' and any / spilled. Tho factory return does not. The variation of 101b. fat would bo just about tho quantity these items would represent ill the. average herd,: and these figures .go to".show that the system of cowtesting association work followed in Neit Zealand is'sufficiently accurate for tin purposes of.culling inferior cows and, selecting tlio. best cows of tho.herd for breeding purposes. In, fact, tho system is all right: for, 'anything save making records for..-purebred'' cows-a phase of contesting provided',for in anotlier way.

■ The Kiimorulsrt Estate lias, according to Sydney jtdvaco ■ just to hand, sustained a big loss by'the death of the imported J«r«y. bull. Combination Jack, bolder of the champion prize at .the Royal show. This animal died' from inflammation caused byswallowing a jdece of licop-iron and a lead washer. '. ,v ' I INCUBATORS FOR 1913.-Now is the time to book your requirements for coming season. Full particulars on application. A. and P. FOOD CO-, Wellington.— Advt. .