SEMI OFFICIAL TESTING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 1760, 27 May 1913, Page 8

SEMI OFFICIAL TESTING.

ASSISTANT DAIKY COMMISSIONER'S REVIEW, Tho-official testing of purebred Holstein and Jersey cows for their butter-fat production, which was undertaken last spring through the co-operation of the respective breeders' associatious and tho Dairy Product* Division of tho Department 01 Agriculture, has progressed iavourably during the season, according to an official statement.'ia the Department's Joumul by tho Assistant Dairy Commissioner, Mr. \\'. M. Singleton. 'Tua liual figures will bear testmony to the fact that a number of the cows Uavo done very creditable work. Already several have given mors than tho minimum required for qualification, For mature cows this standard has been placed at 351)1b. of butter-fat, the requirement decreasing by. one-tenth of a pojind fat for each day tue animal is less than five years old at the date of her calving until tho age, of two years is reached. .Figured on this basis, a heifer calving on tho day she is two years of age, or less, is required to givo ilO.olb. fat. , Starting as yearlings, four heifers liavo produced good records. Tho Jersey heifer Jjady of Collingwood, owned by Mr. P. K. Heliver, has produced her butter-fat requirement of litO.Slb. fat in 1-10 days. Mr. Donald's Holstein heifer Netherlands Princess IV has produced the samo requirement in 153 days. The former commenced her test at tho age of one year 356 days. The former commenced her test at tho age of 1 year 3oG days, anil the latter at 1 year 353 days. The Weraroa Holstein Jessie Tobes Beets hns produced her minimum in 190 days. At calving she was 1 year 350 days old. The Jersey cow I!ewa Amaryllis, owned by .Mr. \V. H. Booth, starting at 1 year 335 days, produced her 2-i0.51b. fat in 223 days. Taking into consideration tho ages of these animals, says Mr. Singleton, tliis is doubtless good work. ' The two-year-old cla®3 is fairly strongly represented in Jerseys that have produced the standard, six having already passed tho requirement. Tho record performance for Jerseys is that of Mr. E. Eagle's cow Belvedere Briar, which gavo 276.11b. fat in 159 days. Although the Holstein two-year-olds are represented by only Mr. W. Remnant's C'olantha. Pietertje, Buttercup, she lias the credit for having produced her requirement in tho same number of days as Mr. Eagle's Jersey. These records aro accompanied in this class by those of Mr. A. E. Missen's Dominion Lovely's Gem, having given 209.71b. fat in 19'J days; Dr. F. J. Watson's Charmer of Bulls, 270.11b." fat in 201 days; Mr. W. N. Stephenson's Campanile's Palm, 243.5 lb. fat in 209 days; and Mr. J. D. Healey's Bridal Bouquet, with 274.71b. fat in 210 days. In. the three-year-old class Mr. G. Aitchison's Holstein Gladys II 'holds tho distinction of having produced her requirement in the shortest time—viz., 125 days. Indeed, up to tho present this cow heads the whole list in this respect. Sho is, however, closely followed by Mr. It. J. Linn's Jersey cow Belvedere Hose, which qualified in 138 days. ' Gladys II had to produce 292.51b. fat, and Belvedere Eoso 278.9 lb. to qualify. Thus far these two cows hold first and second places amongst all cows, with regard to having produced their'requirement in the smallest number of days. Other Jerseys in this class that have qualified according to' production are—llr. E. J. Linn's Fitzwilliam's Fancy, with 280.51b. fat in 168 days; Mr. \V. V. Harkness's Zest, with 301.61b. fat in 177 days; and Mr. R. J. Linn's Queenie Lass, with 311.21b. fat in 195 days. For four-year-olds the only entrant as yet to qualify is the Holstein cow Countess of Galatea, owned by Mr. Newton King, which gave 312.51b. fat in 237 days.

. In the mature class the Weraroa Holstein cows, Mary and Mojiola, head tho list, having produced the minimum requirement of mature coivs (3501b. fat) in 109 and 173 days respectively. These two aro followed by two other Holsteins—Mr. Leith's Gipsy Girl, in 187 days, and llr. Newton ICing'a Lady Rozine, 198 days. Among the mature .Terseys, Mr. E. ,T. Linn's Miss Urenui has qualified in 202 .days, Mr. C. C. Bucklaml's Holstein cow Glendowio Emblem qualified in 222 days, and Dr. F. J. Watson's Jersey Silver Maid in 212 days.

The foregoing remarks apply only to those cows and heifers which have, up to tlie end of March, produced the minimum requirement for their class. All these animals are continuing with tho test, and will have good records at tho expiry of their year or lactation period. Other cowg which commenced their test at a later dato have yet to be heard from, and records quite as creditable may be forthcoming.

Considering that practically all of these cows are milked only twice daily, and that many of them aro Tunning with the -ordinary herds, these figures, Mr. Singleton ; considers, are certainly creditable to the breeds and owners represented. '