CERTIFICATE OF RECORD TESTING.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 665, 6 September 1921, Page 5

CERTIFICATE OF RECORD TESTING.

CHANGE DECIDED ON. On Saturday morning Mr W. M. Singie‘on, assistant director of the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture, met a large number of local and district breeders with cows on certificate of record test in the A. and P. Society's office, to discuss a proposal to amend the basis of taking samples of milk from cows under the semi-official test. M,r E. D. McLennan, of Papakura, presided, and introduced the department’s official. Mr Singleton said that for the ensuing season they had received applications from over 100 breeders, who were not on the list last season, for semi-official testing. These had been accepted conditionally, on the Government appointing more testing officials. The present financial position was abnormal, and they were up against it, as far as the appointment of further testing officers was concerned. Cabinet had deferred an application for more officers and this meant that they would not get them this season. The value of the work was recognised, but the necessity of curtailing expen diture was the reason of the Government’s decision He pointed out that it would not be altogether the new members that would be disappointed, but probably some of the older ones, to get oyer the difficulty. It was, therefore, necessary to decline entries, or reduce the times of sampling per month. They did not want to disappoint anyone, so he had come to the conclusion that a reduction in the times of sampling was the most convenient. He stated that, they had obtained the opinion of testingbreeders on the executives of .the four breeders’ associations and prac-; tically all of these were in favuor of a one day sampling rather than disappoint new breeders. In the past four samples were taken. In support of his suggestion, he pointed out that the American Guernsey Association had adopted the one day per month sampling ana considered it satisfactory, while the United breeders of Australia had also, adopted the one day basis and estimated their irecoras on the milk yield on this one day. England and Ireland were also testing on tnis one daj basis, and he* strongly advocated this basis m New Zealand. By tnis a tester could get over tne ground quickly and attend to more cows. It was tne department’s intention from now on to moaiiy the sampling in the direction indicated. He added that a testing officer will visit a breeder for a preliminary milking when he was expected to take a record of the milk weights for the two days immediately prior to this v.iSit. He will then check the milk weight for the milking at tne time of tnis first visit ana will "take a note of the time. No sample will be taken For the following two or three milkings (according as the cow is milked twice or three times daily) check weights and samples will be taken, the last milking to be 24 hours later than the first milking at which the time was taken but no sample. It is their intention to test eacn milking for butter fat and to figure the pounds of butter fat proauced at each such milking within fhe 24 hours over which samples are taken. The average test for the month will be calculated from this daily production of fat and milk. This v/ili do away with the composite sample as taken in the past and will be conducive to greater accuracy since the calculated “test will accurately take into account variations in the weights of the different milkings sampled. He suggested that the two days be independent ones. Mr Singleton dealt briefly with the testing. He stated that out of 1231 tests, about 1 per cent, was deleted as abnormal. He explained that perhaps on one occasion a cow would test 4, another time 3, and then 4 again. They would consider the 3 abnormally low and would give the cow the 4 test. Then again, if a cow tested 3 once, then again 4 and back to 3, the 4 would be cut out and a 3 test would be recorded. They had never received an objection foxstriking out a test which was abnormally low, but if an abnormally high one was cut out threats were made. In the future if a cow’s test proved abnormal, they would, as hitherto, delete such test. Where they could not make a duplicate test, the same month they would adopt the principle of . averaging that of the preceding and succeeding month as provided in the rules governing the C.Q.R. testing work. He believed that experience would prove the new system satisfactory. They were not out to weaken the system, but to make; it available to as many as desired to use it. After several questions had been satisfactorily answered, Mr McLennan moved and Mr R. F. Wilkinson seconded that Mr Singleton be. thanked for placing the facts before them, and that those present approve of the system of testing as placed before them. The motion was carried unanimously by acclamation.