HERD TESTING ONCE MORE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 1 December 1913, Page 2

HERD TESTING ONCE MORE.

PitACTicAJ, fanners whose financial success; testifies to tlieir general good .judgment, have contended that herd testing , is unnecessary. Their argument is that a thorough farmer can tell by his eyes and his general knowledge of cows' appearances whether-they will be profitable milkers or otherwise. Those who make these contentions are right, within limits; but in general practice this plan would be disastrous. Accurate judges of this sort are a very small percentage of the whole; and for those who are not thus gifted the unerring and easily worked system of testing , percentages of butter-fat and milkyields commends itself. Certainly there aix» weaknesses in the , system at present . notably that of sending to market the rejected cows for sale to whoever will buy them; but it remains to be said that this fact is a detail that does not affect the principle of the case. If afa mer finds a horse unsuitable to his needs he sells it, if he can; so does the possessor of a vehicle that has proved to be too small for his purposes. Those who contend that all cows proved to be inferior milkers should be branded as such are giving "counsel of perfection," as the lawyers would say. The Chronicle is fully of opinion that if dniryformers will test their herds, nnd cull them scientifically, the result must be a monetary gain for themselves in particular, and leave tlieir neighbours no worse off than before. It is a fact so obvious that elaborate argument is unnecessary; summed op, it sets out the incontrovertible fact that to keep ten good cows is better and cheaper than to keep fifteen inferior ones would be. Eor that reason we ore pleased to hear that in the Ta ran ald and Central Hawke's Bay districts herd testing is gaining greatly in public favour. That a more systematic pursuit of it may bo made in Levin and district should be the desire of those who have the district's interests at heart.