TEST AND CULL

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 161, 26 July 1937, Page 8

TEST AND CULL

"It Does Not Pay to Milk a Dud Cow" DAIRYING AS A BUSINESS *"I urge all dairy farmers who herdtest to apply the knowledge in the testbottle to their farm managment and so cut out the low-producing cows. It is futile to test if we are not prepared t0 cuU." said Mr A. E. Morgan, chairman, at the annual meeting of the Heretaunga Group Herd-'l'esting Association on Saturday. Speaking of the annual Herd-Testing Fedgration conference held at Hamilton recently, Mr Morgan said that the conference was an unquaiified success and that wide-spread interest was taken in it. He was greatly impressed by the large increase in the number of cows under test last year. Ten years ago when the movement began to take shape there were 88,000 cows under test, and last year the number had increased to approximately 260,000 "This is proof of the value that the progressive dairy farmer places upon herd-testing," said Mr Morgan. "It is proof that if the farmer wants to make a success of his herd he must continue with testing. Dairyfarming is beeoming more and more a scientific business, and we must use more of what science places in our hands. The dairy farmer's difficulties are increasing year by year, and they can only be overcome by the use of science. "Dairyfarming is a very important industry in this country. If the dairy farmers are successful the country will be prosperous. We, have a duty not only to ourselves but to our country to develop our industry. ' 'Are we treating our dairying as a business, or are we just looking upon it as an occupation?" asked Mr Morgan, 'It is certainly something more than an occupation. Are we treating it as a business? A- 3 we just going alcng in a haphazard way milking any sori of cow and letting the good cow carry the low producer on her back? If we are not prepared to treat our industry as a business we shall fail and our country will suffer as the result. "Farmers say that they cannot afford to test," continued Mr Morgan. "I say, after nine years continuous testing, that we can't alford not to test. It certainly pays to test in bad times as well as in good times. Testing plays a big part in the welfare of the industry, and by your-continuing to test others will be enconraged and will reap the benefits 'also." Mr Morgan then congratulated Mr ;S. Bainbridge on having the highest herd test for the season, averaging 372 lbs of butterfat in 291 days. '"I agree with Mr Morgan that it does not pay to milk a dud cow," said Mr It. Meredith. "The best bull obtainable is the cheapest in the long run, and the dairy-farmer's banking account will endorse his action in buying a bull of that calibre."