THE MAN ON THE LAND.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 725, 26 April 1922, Page 8

THE MAN ON THE LAND.

AYRSHiRE ftISLK PRODUCTION.

AMERICAN AND VICTORIAN FIGURES.

During recent years American farmers and dairy cattle breeders have been .importing Ayrshire cattle rather freely from Scotland. The milk records of these cows are frequently published in the “Ayrshire Digest,” an American publication which is the official journal of the American Ayrshire Breeders’ Association.. In the issue of 15th November, 1921, a list gives the names and yields of 89 Ayrshire cows that produced over sOlbs of butter-fat during the month of August. One cow produced 86H lbs of butter-fat that month, five exceeded the 801 b mark, ten gave over 70ibs, while eleven more produced over 60Dibs’ for the month. The leading two cows averaged above 2 lbs of butter-fat each per day for Auggust. Another list gave names of 112 cows and heifers —including 1." two-year-olds—which averaged 1032 gallons of milk, of 4.04 test, and 4171bs of butter-fat in the previous milking term. The twelve leading cows on this list averaged 1500 gallons of milk and sS9lbs of butter-fat for the year. The total number of aged Ayrshire cows in the American ■ “Advanced Registry 7 ' to date-is 14S0. Their average production for the year was 1,132.2 gallons of milk,yielding 443.2 lbs of butter-fat, Included in the list are 598 four year old heifers, which produced more than 1000 gallons of milk per cow for the season. The leading Ayrshire cows in America are : Garclough May Mischief, 2,532.9 gals, milk, 894 91 lbs butter-fat; Lily of Willowmoor 2,209.6 nvil'k, 955.56 fat Bloomer’s Queen (4 .years old) 2,182.9 milk, 856.41 fat.

The above figures indicate the capabilities of the American Ayrshire dairy cattle when they are fed with a view to stimulating production. The Ayrshlres tested in Victoria have also proved prolific milk and butterfat producers. In the,records of the Victorian Government herd tests ol [Ere past few years stand the names of 18 Ayrshire cows which have given over 1000 gallons of milk in 273 days. Sixteen of these have averaged over SOOlbs of butter-fat in that time, and ten have averaged over 5501b5. Moreover, the yield of Linda of Gowiie Park, with 13,40!bs of milk made in the 1914-15 test, still stands as the State record for an individual cow.