A MILLION COWS.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 674, 11 October 1921, Page 2

A MILLION COWS.

THE HERDS UftSDER TEST.

THEIR WORTH TO NEW ZEALAND.

Mr W. M. Singleton, Acting-Di-rector of the Dairying- Division of the Department of Agriculture, has prepared) a valuable report "on "the' insults of cow-testing in the Dominion. The season reviewed is that of 192021. In an interview on the subject, the Evening Post learned from Mr Singleton that in all 15,480 cows had been tested of the million dairy cows in the Dominion —estimated at 993,473 as on 31st January last.

The past season was not so good as its predecessor, for there was an exceedingly dry autumn, and the yield of milk from the million herd was consequently much reduced.

Mr Singleton reports that the average of the cows under test was 206.421 b of butter-fat in a milkingperiod of 215 days. The average daily yield of butter-fat per cow is about one pound. Butter-fat was worth well over 2s per pound; it has reached over 2s 3d as returned* to shareholders in co-operative factories during the 1920-21 season. Dannevirke Co-operative Company returned 2s Bdl to shareholders. Mataura and Rapanui 2s '9d. Tikorangi paid out 2s ll%d, Eltham Cooperative Company paid 2s 2*?od. To take the value of butter-fat produced at 2s per pound for last season is a conservative figure; but Mr Singleton believes the yield of tested cows of 0.9691 b per cow per day, to be above the average for the Dominion herd.

As it is, the Dominion’s herd of dairy cows was increased by 100,000 head last season, and it will be greatly augmented this current season. The low price of sheep and beef cattle has resulted? this season in the diversion of grazing land to dairying'. The demand for cows is exceedingly keen, as stock agents’ reports from all parts of the Dominion, but especially from the North Island, will show. AN EXPERT OPINION. Of course, there are cows and cows. It is to improve the producing capacity of the Dominions milking- herd that the tests are conducted, Mi* Singleton stated to the Post. “My opinion is '-that unless the Cow-Testing Association members or dairy farmers are inspired through the testing of their cows to breed better animals to take the place of culls, the greatest lessons that cow-testing can teach are largely lost. Low-producing cows should be replaced by heifers sired by purebred bulls. Heijd-testing will show the paramount necessity that exists ■of selecting- such a pure-bred biill from cows which have certificates of record of production. It is to enable farmers to obtain bulls with a ter-fat record backing- that has caused the dairying division of the Department of Agriculture to co-oper-ate with breeders in the authentication of the records of production of pure-bred cows.” The exports of butter and cheese (to say nothing of casein), dried milk, and ether dairy products, for the 12 months, ended 31st July, last was :

The value of the combined ex-, ports of butter and cheese for the 12 months ended 31st July, 1920, was. £9,669,776. Market conditions may not be so good this'current season as last, making it all the more accessary that the cow should dx> her part to the utmost of her producing capacity. Mr Singleton hopes that the publication

of the results of the carefully conducted tests above referred to, will induce farmers to set a watcn on their cows for themselves. “Comparatively,” he remarks, “New Zealand has no reason to be ashamed of the proportion of her dairy cows being tested. Moreover, there is no reason to doubt our ability to lead in this respect, and we trust, to see the number of dairy cows bn test increase very materially in the near future.” WHAT IS DUE TO THE COW. The farmers’ part, as Mr Singleton ton sees it, is in better breeding, improvement in the care and feeding of cows, especially during' - the winter months. Crops must be grown for them in summer for winter feeding. On that subject, Mr A. H. Cockayne, Government Biologist, holds that “the future progress of dairying in New Zealand lies in the adoption of the methods that will lead to the production of butter-fat as the cheapest possible rate ; and, in general, it can be said that in dairying methods which increase the butter-fat production per acre decrease the cost of butter-fat per pound.”

The average butter-fat yield of New Zealand herds is less than I7QIb per cow per annum. Witfy sufficient feed available to enable the maximum production to be realised, Mr Cockayne holds that the average yield per cow would rise in a single year to well over 2001 bof butterfat. At an increase of 301 bof butterfat per cow per annum in a herd

of a million head, at 2s per pound on Mr Cockayne’s estimate there would be an increased revenue for the Dominion of £3,000,000 per annum for butter-fat. Mr Singleton insists that increased production must come not only from selecting the best butter-fat producing cow by carefully recorded tests, but also by supplementing the grass feed in the paddock by specially grown crops for feeding the herds. The good cow has shown herself to be worth far more than bare subsistence, to say nothing of the duty of man to an animal that has served him so well. In a monetary sens£, as those intimately connected with the finances of the Dominion realise, the cow has rendered substantial help in a time of great difficulty, and she promises to continue to do s®, and to increase her contribution.

Cwt. Butter 638,670 8.654,479 Cheese .. 1,436,707 8,523,669 2,075,377 17,178,148