Dairying Industry.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 209, 10 September 1901, Page 3

Dairying Industry.

the Editor of tho Times.)

Slit, —1 hope you will find space for enclosed letter to hand, 7th inst., which partly explains itself: — Duaii Sin, —You may not bo aware that Mr Kirkland has had a rather severe illness, having suffered from an attack of British cholera and influenza, but he is now, I am pleased to say, in a fair way to.vards recovery, and will in a few days be again about. When down seeing him a few nights ago ho showed me your letter, also the Gisborne Times, in which you havo a reply to a Mr Lysnar, who, it appears, knows as much about milk as a cow does about a fast day (to use a Scotch saying). Mr Kirkland being unwell, requested me to reply to you ro the matter. Before my recent trip to Scotland 1 let the milking of mv cows to a married couple, and in making an estimate to him lor his guidance for tendering for the job I told him to count on 15jlb or li gallons per day for tho hord for the winter months, and 2611 bor 21 gallons for the summer months. After the year was up we found that tho cows gave a little over my estimate, but you must bear in mind in my ease I had“to find as much feed as the cows could cat, and of course they were housed all winter and on rough nights in summer; and again, if a cow regularly milks and gives this amount for ton months in the year, my experience is that she will be practically done in 7 or 8 years. A 3-gallon basis is for us in the South Island too high. Of course if it is only to apply to tho grass summer season I could believe that in exceptional cases a 3-gallon per cow average could be obtained, but ovon then I no not believe tho milk would test moro than 3.4, or perhaps not more than 3.2. Mr Lysnar's figures look very well; say a cow gives 3 gallons per day with a test of 3.4, and tho butter at tho low average price of lOld per lb, tho cows yield of butter in money for ton months would be a little over .£l4. No wonder we dairymen make money. —I am, etc., "W. Blackie, Glasgow Farm, East Taieri.

Imagining that Mr Lysnar would challenge the figures usod in my first letter, I wroto to my friend Mr Kirkland to send mo a rough estimate of his large herd’s yearly tally. Being ill, ho asked Mr Blackie to send his along. Qn my letter to’the Times being read to the invalid he remarked, “ Very good. I should like to see Mr Lysnar’s reply to that.” Up to date I have been unable to forward one. Messrs Blackie and Kirkland are known in the Ejout-h as most up-to-date farmers in all the various branches. Glasgow Farm held tho Lawos Challenge Shield for best-managed farm for two years, and I think was only beaten by one ‘point for tho third attempt, which would have won tho 50 guineas shield.

I have no doubt if Mr Lysnar were a buyer the parties mentioned could suit him with anything from a fresh egg to an imported draught stallion, or from a sucking pig to 300 fat bullocks, allowing an hour for cutting out tho latter ; sheep and cereals on the same scale. The magnificent buildings, steam machinery, and plant have all been paid for from the land, and the estates are an example of what first-class ground, fourteen miles from a good market, aided by great ability, levelheadednesss, and thorough practicalness in all the ins and outs of a most complicated business, can do. U hen you publish Mr Lysnar's promised pamphlet on dairying matters, kindly forward one to Messrs° Kirkland and Blackie, who, though having run the properties on their own account for thirty years, are always on the look-out for practical wrinkles. I notice Mr Blackie compares your_ talented 1 author to a cow on a Presbyterian fastday. I hope when he reads the anxiously-looked-for work he will not say, “An animal supposed to be fond of name [ lVua sa me number cl letters as cow.” —I am. etc,, •• M. Mauxsell. tYhataupoko, Sept. 9, 1901.