Value of Cow Testing.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 3 September 1910, Page 4

Value of Cow Testing.

Mr James Burgess, of Warca, in the 'course of a letter to the Daily News regarding the discussion at the Kltham farmers' Conference about cow testing, says :— No other means, at so small a cost will make such an improvement in a dairy herd as accurate and constant weighing and testing. One hears it said, "1 cannot afford to cull." Can anyone afford to keep cows that are not paying expenses. Which lie certainly is" doing unless ho weighs and tests. In the majority of herds the best cows would he lotind to return Co per annum more than the worst. To get rid ol'.the wo'ist and replace with good heilers would involve a

CAPITAL Oi I'LAY of more than £3 a head at the most, and would probably pay fifty per cent., and very likely cent, per cent, on the outlay. Can anyone alford to neglect this. Of course, for the first two or three years the the improvement can only' be made at one end-by culling" out the uoi.st-but it is wonderful what a difference even this makes, more particularly in the first year. After three or four years, if'a pedigree bull of good milking strain lias been used, and the heifers .from the best cows kept, the improvement ot the herd would progress much taster. This raises another point. Any number of pedigree bulls with a greater or less number of prizes to their credit can be obtaineel, but to find a breeder who can give complete dairy records of the dam and grand dam of the bull is anothei matter. Yet this is what is wanted it we a'i-.e to build up herds with any degree of certainty. The soonei the agricultural societies and judges recognise this the better it will bo tor the

DAIRY INDUSTRY. By records is not meant a week's '»• even a month's show trial, but accurate records for the whole season. .Nothing else is of niitdi use, as everyone who has tried it will

As almost all the milk is sent to cljiiry nctones, it appears to me mat the government might do a great service to the dairying indli.s----t . by allowing their inspectors to t« I y t,,e , I 1 K» re s »f those who are Jhls neod iuvolFe litic trouble or expense. A suror'^hZ'V 0 t,,e - n,i, , kil, g two t.hiee times in the season to check weights and tests, and then testJ'T't'r 1 - 0 !-^ and S ',V e "'d'v.cual with those "' the factory ought to be fairly cTte'lp'r?- •Jf + after this a <*"*«- liv Snr n &v V\ io evorv °°w giving say dOOIbs or buter-fat for the ason and the kind of bul she wt "eel to, it would make it .far oashh hei-d an r ie , U ' antin r t0 iln P™e >» iicid to know whore to rairndl'in. l r ] ' ?, hC, - ter ' aild i.t T lTnlJn'' 0 aH - ! m P°«*ant items, k l . :fi,ffl. rf tho ™- sw «»-

FACTORY DIRECTORS. l>o r Ld!;LiT Pl i°i' S Sonornlly could no induced to take it up, in a fW yonrs the output- would 1' dn,.?r rm ° and the «»* P • tlK'tion correspondingly decreased Weighing anc i J j^,,^, 1 ; jvondc,, in D enmark,fnd if would e.ual jvonders for us. It lZ d v n nnvA- AVnOl ' S notice «* once v *, " S " n w f? n 8 with the tows, and it would add an interest ponfc having done so. ,0 "