UTILITY V. SHOW RING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1776, 14 June 1913, Page 18

UTILITY V. SHOW RING.

TESTING PUREBRED COWS. WHAT THE DEPARTMENT IS DOING. Coincidontly with the campaign that has been entered into to ■eliminate tho unprofitable cows from tho dairy herds, an necessary departure has beeu undertaken with tho object of providing cattle of improvod quality to replace those that are to bo discarded. This is 0110 part only of the scheme, which combines culling, feeding and replacement, and will'eventually raise tho standard 01 production. It will be of little avail to discover uud weed out tho non-paying cows, if there is no means available of securing animals ot better merit, These will havo to bo bred, and it is most encouraging to note the wonderful enthusiasm with which breeders of purebred dairy stock have entered into tuo business, particularly during tho last few years. Enterprising r stud-owners have imported at great expense a great number of bptcniUy-sciected bulls aud cows how the best herds in other parts of tho world. Ayrshire*, Jerseys, Holsteins, and Shorthorns all have their supporters. Owner* aro vying with each other in their endeavours to produce all purpose cows that wilt 6how an advance in earning power. Uccognising tho supreme importance ot high-class dairy cattlo, the btate has shown commendable enterprise by establishing purebred herds of various breeds at tho different experiment stations. The progeny iroin these officially-tested herds are disposed of annually by public auction, and as time goes on the influence of tboir superior producing power will be reflected in private herds throughout the Hithorto, show-ring awards on external appearances have been the only test of superiority, but a new order has been introduced, which provider, a far better test of merit than tho show ring. .Several ot the breeders' associations governing 'the registration of purebred dairy stock have adopted the suggestion thrown out by the State, and have decreed, that before a cow is eligible for entry in the Stud Book she will havo to have previously given proof of proficiency under official observation. „ Those dairy cattle known as- purobreds" are, as a class, generally considered to possess certain fairly well-fixed and desirable qualities, which the keeping of the breed in a pure state tends, when ac•ompanied by judicious selection, to propagate and strengthen The-power ot transmitting these qualities is thereby intensified, and the breed made more valuable, so long as these Qualities transmitted have a monetary value.

The Law of Heredity. These dairy qualities are now very much "abbreviated, and may be summed up as "the ability to get offspring which if females, .will produce a large quantity of milk and butter-fat economically. At one period of the development of our dairy nerds the number of breeders who might excel according "to the then standards was more or less to thoso who had a special endowment or natural aptitude along that line- In these later days, when tho productive capacity of the dairy cow is considered of premier importance in successful dairying, tho field is enlarged, and a love, of dairy animals who is gifted with tair judgment and energy, a kindly nature and infinite patience, may, by using the scales and fat-test to provide him with exact data, make a success of dairy-farm-ing. This door has been opened to the greater number very largely, through testin" and recording of the yields of purebred cows and by the records of purebred bulls, as seen in the number of their daughters which havo distinguished themselves in this record of yields or performance. By consulting tins record tor purebred cows, tho beginner .in the older dairy countries can for himself 60lect dairy stock from those families of which the females are heavy milk and butterfat producers. The prospective dairyman can ascertain whether tho bulls of any particular family are transmitting enhanced milking qualities to their offspring, for it is only through the good efforts of his daughters that a bull s name is admitted to the registry. euch information at his disposal, even tho uninitiated may. make an intelligent selection of good dairy stock.

The Dairy Sirs. Any reference to the question of improving tho milking power and revenue earning'capacity of dairy cows would bo incomplete without epeoial mention being made of the influence of the Sire. Indeed, tho whole question of breeding hinges on the quality of the male parent, and his ability to reproduce offspring that will perpetuate the desired characteristics. One of tho greatest defects of tho past in the management ot' dairy herds has been the woeful neglect and ignorance that have been displayed in appraising the value of tho Dull and .its influence. With the great majority tho only concern was to their cows in cali'. and any nondescript animal Beeraed good enough for tho purpose. Men who knew better have been urging reformation in this respect. By their pcrsis*tent effort it has at last been recognised that "the bull is half the herd," and a rapid chanjja is taking plaoo as a consequence. Nowadays, ,the brctoder of dairy stock wants to know the pedigree of the 6ire and the milking performance of,his ancestry. This is where the testing of purebred oattle is going to bo of the greatest service. Vendors of stud cattle in the future will need to produce official information regarding the ■ earning power of the animals under offer, so that even a, novice in-, dairying may bo enabled to enter the sal© ring and secure stock of known quality, . Showring records, unless backed up by more convincing proofs of proficiency, will not count in the future as they have done in the past. If ever a man needs a first-olass bull it is when he is starting) a herd. Dairymen used to start out with the idea that any low-priced animal would do. If one was offered them that had boon bred' up from a long, careful course of wise breeding for from J315 to £20, they would refuse to consider it. When the wise breeder starts to look for a. siro to place at tho head of his herd, price is tho last thing he thinks of. He is building the foundations, and he knows that the stability of the superstructure all depends on the supporting base. So many farmers look at this important subject wrong end foremost, but a little thought will readily prove the value of the one over the other.

Testing in Operation. In Ids report qn the official testing of purebred Holstein and Jersey cows for their butter-fat production, which was 'undertaken last spring through the cooperation of the respective breeders' associations and the Dairy Division of the Dopartmont of Agriculture, Mr. W. 11. Singleton," the oflicer in charge of the work, makes the following comments in the "Journal": — "Tho final figures will boar testimony to the fact that a number of tho cows have done very creditable work. Already several have- given more than the. minimum required for qualification. Tor mature cows this standard has been placed at 3501b. of butter-fat, the requirement decreasing by one-tenth of a pound fat for each day the animal is less than five years old at the date of her calving until the ago of two years is reached. Figured on this basis, a heifer calving on the day she is two years of age, or less, is required to give 240.51b. fnt. "Starting as yearlings, four lienors have produced good records. The JtTsey heifer J.iulv of Collingwood, owned by Mr. F. K. Jlellvor, Ims produced her butter-fat requirement of 240.51b. fat in 110 days. Mr. Donald's Holstein heifer Netherland .Princess IV has produced the same requirement in 153 days. The former commenced hor test at tho age of 1 year 35G days, and the latter at 1 year 353 days. The Wereroa Holstedii Jessie. Fobcs Dcets iias produced her minimum in li) 0 days. At calving slio wns 1 year 350 days Did. Tho Jersey cow Hewn Amaryllis, owhed by Mr. AV. 11. Booth, starting at 1 year 335 days, produced her 240.51b. fat. in 223 days. Taking into consideration the ages of these animals, this is doubtless good work. ~ , . . , , , "The two-year-old class is fairly strongly represented in Jerseys that have produced tho standard, six having already passed the requirement. The record performance for Jerseys 19 that of Mr. E. Etxrio's cow Belvedoro Briar, which ifftvo 276,11b, fat in 159 daya. Although the

Holstein. two-year-olds ore represented by only Mr. W. llemnant's Colantlm Pictertje Buttercup, she has the credit for having produced her requirement ill tho same number of days as Mr. Eagle's Jersey. Theso records are accompanied in this class by thoso of Mr. A. E. Alissen's Dominion Lovely's Gem, having given 269.71b. fat in 190 days; Dr. I'. J. AVatson's Charmer ,of Bulls. 270.11b. fat in 204 days; Mr. W. N. Stephenson's Campanile's Palm, 243.51b. fat in 209 days; and Mr. J. D. llealey's Bridal Bouquet, with 274.71b. fat in 210 days.

"In tho three-year-old class Mr. G. Aitchison's Holstein Gladys II holds the distinction of having produced her requirement in the shortest time—viz., 125 days. Indeed, up to the present this cow heads the whole list in this respect. She is, however, closely followed by Mr. H. J. Linn's Jersey cow Belvedere Hose, which qualified in 138 dnys. Gladys II had to produco 292.511). fat and Belvedere Rose 278.91b. to qualify. Thus fur 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: Mr. It. J. Linn's Fitzwilliam's Fancy, with 280.51b. fat in 108 days; Mr. W. V. Harluicss's Zest, with 301.61b. fat in 177 days, and Mr. It. J. Linn's Quecnie Lass, with 311.21b. fat in 195 days, "For four-year-olds the only entrant as yet to qualify is the Hostein cow Coiiiitess of Galatea, owned by Mr. Newton Kins, which save 312.51b. fat in 237 days. "In the mature' class tho AVereroa Holstein cows, Mary nnd Manola. head the list, having, produced tho minimum requirement of mature cows (3501b. fat) in IG9 and 173 days respectively. These two aro followed by two other Holsteins -Mr. Leith's Gipsy Girl, in 187 days, and Mr. Newton King's Lady Rozine, 196 days. the mature Jerseys, Mr. R. J. Linn's Mjss Ureniii has qualified in 202 days, Mr. C. C. Buckland's Holstein cow Glendowie Emblem qualified in 222 days, and Dr. P. J. Watson's Jersey Silver- Maid In 242 days. "Tho foregoing remarks apply only to those cows and heifers whion have, up to tho end of March, produced the minirequirement for their class. All these. animals are continuing with the test, and will have good records at tho Expiry of their year or lactation period. Other cows which commenced their test at a later date have yet to be heard from, and records quit© as creditablo may bo forthcoming. "Considering that practically all ■ of these cows are milked only twice daily, and that many of them are running with the ordinary herds, theso figures are eeltainly creditablo to tho breeds and owners represented."