TEST AND GRADE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5120, 2 May 1927, Page 3

TEST AND GRADE.

HERD-TESTING FIGURES. AN INTERESTING, LETTER. The, following interesting letter appeared in the “Taranaki Daily News” recently over the signature of Mr W. R. Wright, of Rahptu :— “Those of us who hold that the higher the test the smaller and the worse the yield are haviiig our belief confirmed daily. I was simply astounded to find in your report of the Taranaki herd-testing figures for March that No. 1 group (Okato), averaging 33 cows, 5.1 test, produced 25.631 b but-ter-fat ; No. 2 group (Werea), averaging 46 cows, 4.8 test, 25.711 b butterfat ; while, No. 3 group (Rahotu and Qaonui) averaging 53 cows, 4'.7 test, pre d need 28.951 b butter-fat. Now these are reliable, figures, unlike the association test, which is joke of the dairying world because with it everyope. gets the' test he wants.

“Let us turn to the Waikato, and to the official figures for herd-testing there, and how the factories are affected. In the grading averages for February Ngatea secured top grade, 94.41, with. 7431 boxes of, superfine, eleven (only) first, and no seconds, while the average test, 3.9, giving 25.261 b butter-fat, -is actually the lowest of the 55 tested groups representing 58,895 cows. Now the honour (?) of being the lowest in the grading falls to Otorqhanga (where the good Jerseys are), which graded 91.18, resulting in 2209 boxes superfine, 2200 first, and 890 second grade, while the test (4.5) is the second highest of the said 55 groups. No wonder the man responsible for 30,000 tons of butter says he cannot get superfine out of this rich milk.

“In cheese Manawa-ru, whose average. test was 4.5, w'ith 35.881 b butterfat, is the very highest in the 55, and can only scrape out a 91.38 grade, producing a miserable 118 crates finest, 952 first grade, and 41 second do.

“Then I notice your Urenui correspondent congratulates his factory .on a 4.3 test, producing 2.531 b cheese. He left out about the grading, but a low-testing cow (say 3.4) will make 2 points more cheese and get finest grade every time, which the 4.3 and the 4.5 can’t get. “Ngate.a’s (Hauraki Plains) grading ‘beats miracles,’ but as I recently revisited the Plains, having a 92-mile spin through them, I. can perhaps explain it. From Netherton to Miranda via Ngatea I only saw two Jersey herds visible from the main road.

“There’s going to be a landslide some of. these days, and when people get their second wind they will ask why for so long the low tester, which produces only superfine, should hd penalised for making our butter and cheese saleable by anything from 2d to i’/ 2 d per lb butter-fat.”