What Cow Testing Means in Cash.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 21 January 1911, Page 2

What Cow Testing Means in Cash.

— In tlio animal report of the Canadian Dairy Commissioner. the following appears''A .survey of the work accomplished' during the past year prompts the enquiry: What is the significance of Jus work as regards income for Canadian dairymen? As shown further 011, several men have, made substantial increases in three or four years, amounting to from 13 per cent up to 60 per cent in the yield of milk. It sliould he easy, with concerted action, to achieve a general increase of at least 10 per cent in the yield from all the cows in the dominion. Even this moderate increment would assume the astounding proportions of an additional ten millions of dollars from the present number of cows. This is well worth seriously considering. That enormous sum is within the grasp of our farmers for but a trifling expenditure of cash and a few 'hours' work per year—just alittle applied intelligence. Every man of influence who wishes to see our dairy farmers prosper should realise the importance of this "simple 'but far-reaching plan, and make it a point to recommend the proposition to every farmer in his neighbourhood.

"As the members of the Scottish Agriculutral Commission on their recent visit to Canada justly remarked, /The contrasts in the yields of dairy herds are simply "bewildering, while the average yields compare most unfavourably' with Scottish and Danish records.' When we are rebuked like this it is high time for all factory men, a.ll instructors, all dairy farmers, to wake nip, to pull (together, and to take up cow testing in real earnest. Fortunately we have not far to seek for good patterns, for excellent models. Plenty of good individual cows are to be found in practically every province, whose yields are ivp to 18,0001b of milk, ami even higher, while in many districts throughout Canada are good herds of selected and well-fed cow's, built up through a study of diary records, and giving from 7000 to 10,000 -pounds of milk per cow. With satisfactory evidence of sucih actual attainment, there is every possible inducement for our 'average' dairyman to go in and win. Jt is not so much a question of cash outlay as the'application of method and system."