Farming Column

Hokitika Guardian, 12 March 1932, Page 8

Farming Column

FUTURE of dairying. BRITISH MILK YIELD TESTS; Mr J. W. Pearson, the chairman of the 'British (Oil and Cake Mills, Ltd., who are the promoters of the National Milk Yield competitions, generally chooses the occasion ' of the annual prize-giving to make a statement. if hot Sensational, at least stimulating in the' prospects it holds out of the changes which may overtake the conditions of milk production in Great Britain and throughout the world, remarks the North' Wilt's Herald, published at 'Swindon, England, which has just come to hand. |on December 10, when he presided 'over an audience of dairy farmers at ikfneheon at the Savoy Hotel to celebrate the presentation of prizes to the winners of the Fourth British Oil and Cake Mills National Milk Yield competition, ’ll© envisaged a friendly cleavage between cattle breeders and milk producers, a time when each would be independent of f the other, because of 'the intervention) of hormones. Of hormones he confessed he had no pergonal knowledge, but re-1 lying upon' scientific reports of what hormones did, and producing a volume of statistical information gathered clur- j ing recent year s ' concerning phenomena in milk .production, and also citing the example of the pullet 'that iseemed in- j I dependent in the matter of egg-laying, ' I he prophesied an era in which the cow, • I fed by a .properly balanced ration | a judicious incorporation of hor- [ mones, would supply milk automatically and continuously independent of any considerations of calves. SCIENTIFIC FEEDING. Mr Pearson deplored that, perhaps on account of the stringency of the present conditions, there had Been some secessions from the ranks of the milk producers ''who were supporting • the | effects of the Ministry of Agriculture J and the milk recording societies to persuade the farmer of the ‘theoretic and .practical value of scientific system '•in feeding and management. He expressed the opinion that the ostensible average yield in this country of 70 gallons wa s a ridiculous estimate, and hoped that presently a membership of at least 76 per cent, of the total herds j of the country with an average which',! would not fall below an annual of 1,000 gallons would be experienced, j /Mr Pearson recalled that a year ego he had announced a new world ’“record” for herd yields. This year l(e fvtns pMe to injtimat-e four ■ new .achievements ; two, the 'highest herd j yiield, under the conditions, that hasj ever been recorded; three, the highest individual record for a type-; . ,*an.d' lastly.’ the biggest increase that had ever been noted in the annal s of milk record i ng. WINNERS OF PRIZES. The .competition, as in previous | years, had been' separated into two, classes ; one being open to all breeds and the second to all breeds other than Friesians. In each class there were 18 prize-winners of amounts vary-1 ing |from £IOO to £5, and there were three additional prizes in each clais s for. the 'greatest percentage im creases in j yield. The first prize of 2100 in the, open class was won by Mr L. Geoffrey Burr, of Skeyton Lodge, Scottow, Nor-. folk,'with an average yield of 2010 gallons; the second prize of £SO by Mr and Airs S. G. Stephenson, of North-! lands, Winterton, Lines, (who won the corresponding prize last year) with an •average yield of 1907 gallons; and the ‘.third prize of £25 by Air T. W. Elliott, of Lidsey Lodge., Bognor Regis, \Sussex, with an average yield, of 1826 gallons. | In the second class Lieut.-Comman-j tier C. G. Vyner, of Studley Royal, I DRipon '(manager, W. H. Brown) won j the first prize of £loo' with an average yield of 1586 gallons ; the second prize of £SO was won by Mr E. C. ..Molpass, of Bridge Farm, Aduev Road, Wellington, Salop, with an average yield of 1463 gallons, and the third prize of £35 by Mr H. B. .Green, of Wight-on, Wells, Norfolk, | wiith an average yield of 1440 gallons. In the special class for the greatest yield increase, the first prize of £25 was awarded to Messrs Horvidge and Comal], Ltd., of Bolholt, Bury, Lams, (an increase of 38.71 per cent., representing an average of 855 gallons I in 1929-30 and 1186 in 1930-31) ; the second prize of £ls to Mr W. Turner, of Offerton, Hindlip, Worcs. ; and the third pri'/e of £lO \o Air J. S. Hudson, of Rfobßill Farm, Morpeth. In the second das s of this competition the prizes went to Mr Walter Uattersby, of It "ssinttham, Lincoln (an increase of 4P.CB per cent., representing an average o! 730 gallons in 1929-30, and 7081 gal- 1 lons in 1930-31) ; Mr H. Lr Bebb, of Wools ton House. Oswestry, Salop, and. Mr Rockcliffe. of Hill House, West Walton, North Wisbech. | AUSTRALIAN RECORD BROKEN. | New Zealand can claim a good deal of assodiation Twith the Australian .no-cord -for all breeds recently esfcab- | lished by the Jersey heifer, .Richmond | Tost,y sth, for the dam of the new | record holder is a daughter ol Asters j Diamond King, which was bred in this iDom/inion, and exported 'to Australia I .some years ago. Richmond Rosy sth, ! which began test as a 'three-year-old on I her second calf, produced 'Bl2lb. butterfat in only 273 days, thus passing easily 1 t'ho • previous record of 687.991 b. fat ! hold by an Illawarra Milking Shorthorn. I Rosy sth is « member of the great j Hawkesbury College herd, m which ! .rtive b Q)3n developed ‘a- number of

other record-breakers, notably May • Queert of ißichmond 1067.441 b fat in bob days, and Wagga Gladys, 1149.381 b. fat in 365 d'ays. However, considering her age and the period of her test,' the 'College authorities consider that (the record of this granddaughter of a New Zealand bull is the greatest of them all. THE WEST CO-AST. BENEFITS OF LIMING. Contingent on the adequate use ol Time and fertilisers, a very bright futurefor dairying on the West Const is forecasted by Mr R. .McGill ivrrty,' Fields Superintendent of the Agricultural Department. Mr AlcGilHvray, during a visit tb the Reefton district last week, inspected something exceptional in the way of lime top-dressing on the farm of Mr T. Watson, at Crushingtoii. AH Watson '.has a kiln on his farm, using wood for burning, a local lime deposit being available. Naturally he has not been restricted by the price of it’he comj niodity; and he limes heavily, combined with dressings and superphosphate. This j is' giving him a splendid pasture, on 1 which 'his large herd of cows is doing extremely ■ well. He is bringing in an j extensive area of low terrace country, which) when limed and fertilised, will greatly increase his carrying capacityj M)i* McGillivray .says that it is 1 practically impossible to carry on farming successfully ou -the West Coast without- liming. Wherever lime and superphosphate have been used Striking resUlt s have been obtained. A number of others farmers around Reefton are also liming and top-dressing, and whei all the country to the Inangahua Junction is cleaned up, limed, and top dressed, the dairying and the fat lamb industries will be generally extended. | NEW AND VIEWS. Thi official figures of stock purchases for Russia i’rom Great Britain -since June last are 948 pedigree cattle and over 200 pigs, nnd purchases are still continuing. The Prince of Wales has sold two Shorthorn hulls to Russia. i** * * I, Striking Averages. The high standard of production to j which the dairy herds of Australia are being raised is evidenced in VGVV forceful manner by last year’s returns of the Victorian Government’s test. The entire number of 1308 pedigree Jerseys tested, including 810 two-year-old and three-year-old heifers. averaged 362.271 b fat in 273 days. Everv record was made under ordinary dairying conditions, and of course on -twice a day milking. Stock Firm’s Position. The position of the stock and station agents was neatly summarised in the 'chairman’s speech at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Co., Ltd., as follows’: To a large extent the profits of the company are dependent upon the prices obtained for the products of Australia and New Zealand. The abnormal decrease, therefore, in the value of wool, dairy produce, etc., has greatly reduced the commissions earned by the company in connection with' the sale of these commodities, while, on the other hand, the larger quantities in the costs of handling commensurate vvitli the decrease in the realised value of the goods. * * *' # The Real Problem of Dairying. The Commonwealth Statistician’s figures show that Australian workers now receive £B6O for every £SOO received in 1911. It is also shown that tile dairymen now pay £B6O for articles which in 19H could have been bought for £SOO. Yet the dairymen’s wage is no higher now than in 1911., While farm leaders, Country Party politicians and politicians in general keep to the high wage principle applied to workers and to capital, while the dairymen’s wage is fixed practically by world’s parity prices, there can he nothing luit disaster ahead for the dairying industry, A few months age, when the dairy companies were paying Is 3d per 111. to suppliers, we predicted that prices might eventually fall to 7d or Bd. Since then tlie price paid has fallen to lOj and lid, and. with continuous over-production, a still lower price may shortly lie ruling. ## * * Stud Stock Export. A small’ hut relatively constant it-em in New Zealand’s trade in recent year;: hat; been the export of stud stock. 11l the five years to 1929-30 the a vi-age annua! value was between £IIO.OOO and £120,000, horses ami sheep accounting for 'the bulk of the trade. As is well known, Australia has been spending large sums for thoroughbred stock, but it- is not so well known that the SouP'i American Republics of Argentine, Chile, and Uruguay have been fairly steady • customers for stud sheep, particularly Ooi'l'ieda.les, a breed established by New Zealand stud masters. Japan lias now entered the market for Oorriednles, and there is a prospect that her buying may become a permanent feature. These practical tributes to the excellence ot our breeds, although small in elfuct, should give much-needed encouragement to our -studinastei's to carry on in lace of present heavy odds The trade in be of slow growth, but it is significant I till a t customers return to this mark r. In the long run New Zealand may l.; aide, with her pastoral and elimaic advantages, to establish herself ;i;> the stud farm of Tie southern hemisphere, mcl thus the patience and sagacity ol tier breeders should have its reward.