THE ROBBER COWS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 14 June 1910, Page 4

THE ROBBER COWS.

SOMK HAWKRA COMMENTS. Commenting upon the letter which was reprinted in last Friday's Chronicle under the above, heading, the riawera Star remarks:— li' jiiiy justification were needed fur again referring to "the heavy losses sustained by fanners tbroiighoiiit Taranaki thrmigh the continmul exisiteiice ui "the robber cow," it would be amply found in the letter, over i.Mr .J. R. Conig.au's .signature, which appeared in Monday's Star. The monthly returns of the Dalefuld Co.w-te«tiug Association, under the auspices of the Department o>f Agriculture-- a summary of which we publish at the regular periods— sKiuW \'ery clearly that it is <lue to the presence of the good milkers in tite iWd that the losses, imposed by the cows "Avhich eait tlieii' beads off" are borne by dairy farmers at all. The lowest individual yield of the various herds shows siHi a disc-repanify when compared with 'tihe highest iiidividu.al yield that tb(> only matter .for surpri ,,,, is tha't so many diairy farmers should b;> content to roii.tinu-e on the wornout h.;ip-bazaird. method of average. Tho careful selection of milch c.')w< suggeatK itself at once as nf necessity in .securing 5-.ii: >li a rotiM'n as is demnnded in view of the high price nf land. The figures arrived .Tt by Mr Corrigan were the result of ro-utrh calculation ltut his exppirionco jimnngst stock entitles that calculation to respectful nonsideriition. Acco.rd'i.n.o; to our cfTrrespqndt'nt there nrc Sn.ftOfJ cows milked in Ta.ianaki every year flt a. loss nf 12 f! per cow. It does not ref|iiire an t-xpwienoed dairyinnn to iinderfttnii'l tlnat if "rdbbeirs" wore plucked from the herds .there would be an Mvinrr of grass, of farm labour. H 1 interest on Hi» rust of t ! v j scrubi'crs. _an:l of general ex-pens--". To ask dairy hnners to agree to the branding of these cows ;is "iro.liher.s" is don'btli'ss asking them to sanction an heroic thing, but it is clear that from n rroneral ■point "f view it is uneconomic that (the culls should lie passed round from farm to farm. Of course it is too much to hom» for that every bot-d will l>» so built up tbiil: every mom ben , -pf p'-w-ill be a top-notcher. Tn the mi- , .*-'- selected herds there are bound to ho variations. Rirt ; f!he poiivt to bo iiimod ,n.t is ,n hi'ih inr]iivif7.u.nl in the first tvlaoe and in the second to keep only such <roo'l nroducf'rs ti'a'.t ithe variafif>n will be minimised. Tho Dnleft" eld results nro instructive but when the Elth-nm Association, of "'lnch promise is now made, gntr wiiifr it should clo a splendid wrk in <lemon.«rf-ra.tinn- tbo n»!>il n-l----"anlaire o<f a tlioroinrb system of Tt is time tbait tin-•■α^l'-.p cww l-.-wl i) pliorfc shift.