Farm and Garden.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 124, 21 January 1909, Page 3

Farm and Garden.

A Holstcin Fresian cow at the University of Winconsin, U.S.A., is frequently credited with having furnished a world's milk record. She produced in one year 27,432.51bs of milk, giving 998,2561b?. of butter fat. By the production of almost lUOCllbs. of butterfat this cow yielded about ]l6slbs. of butter, or considerably over 3lbs. of butter per day. If the milk were sold at an all-in price of Bd. per gallon it would have realised over £9l. Messrs Griffiths and Cornwall's Jersey, Grannie's Girl, has made a New Zealand record superior to the Winconsin cow. She has weekly produced 24lbs. loz. of commercial butter, has milked 49Jlb. of milk in one day, with a 6.3 test, and deservedly won champion honours when five months in milk.

Speaking at Feilding, Dr Mason, (Chief Health Officer), said that in a quarter inch cube of milk there might be found ten million microbes, brought Into existence through the cow mating bad straw while being milked.

Accurate and continuous records are necessary for best results. Examples show the impracticability of trying to determine the profitable cows by mere guesswork. One dairyman found the cow he had picked out for best to be fifth on his merit list when actual records were taken.

In a bulletin recently issued by the Massachusetts Experiment Station, it is laid down that in order to be considered profitable as a producer of market milk, a cow should yield 2800 quarts of 3.5 to 4 per cent, milk yearly, without being forced; and that for butter a cow should produce at least 3001bs. yearly, otherwise she is not payable to her owner.

The Illawarra (N.S.W.) Cow Testing Association started operation on November 2. There are two official testers, who are both certificated dairy students at the Hawkesbury Agricultural College, and each tester has to be present at three milkings at every farm on his list. The scheme is finding favour with dairymen, and similar associations in New Zealand would be productive of immense good.

There are some old cows, quiet of disposition, with the milking habit so well developed and established as to render them almost fool-proof as to methods of milking. With nervous and excitable cows or young cows that are just developing the milk secreting machinery, the greatest care must be exercised, as the milker has a wonderful control of the lacteal development of the cow. Always remember that maternity is the prime incentive to the secretion of milk.

An Indiana Jersey cow, Financial Countes3, made an official record from Jone 8. 1907, for one year. Her milk yield was ]3,2 JBlbs., which gave 795 lbs. 4.60z. butter-fat, or 9351b5. lOoz. butter, 86 per cent. fat. Her milk averaged 6.3 per of butter-fat, and she produced within .'Jibs, of the live weight of her carcase in butter.

A real, shrewd dairy farmer realises that he must either read or travel extensively to see what other men's herds are doing. It has simply amazed hundreds of men when they once wake up, to see in what a place of darkness they have been living.

Stringy or slimy milk is the result of bacterial infection, but the causal organism is not accurately determined, different observers having noted organisms of several kinds. Milk sugar is thought to be the substance which ferments, as solutions of casein or albumen, when mixed unintentionally with the ferement, do not undergo fermentation, but a solution of milk sugar as weak as 1 percent, distinctly shows it. When the cause is indigestion in the cow, the remedies before mentioned are suitable,. If in the dairy, disinfection by sulphurous acid gas is the most effective. The calf-rearing experiments conducted by the Aberdeen Agricultural College seem to indicate that separate milk, coupled with good cod-liver oil, is much cheaper than wh«>le milk rearing, although the calves did not appear to be quite in such good bloom. Fifty dairy fanners in various parts of Victoria have been supplied by the local Department of Agriculture with the seed of selected varieties of maize su'ttable for the production of green fodder, the quantity sent to each growler being enough to sow one acre. The growers have undertaken to make observations of the various experimental crops while growing, and furnish the Department with their notes indicating the respective characteristics «f the several kinds.

Beef cattle are hardier than diary cattle on account of having more fat worked through the muscles. The dairy cattle put the fat ir.to the milk or deposit it around their intestines to be drawn upon when needed. The Jersey cow, Golden Fern's Sensation, is one of America's most remarkable dairy animals. She has won many prize and was grand champion at the United States National Dairy Show. Her present owner purchased her for £l4O, 'Tnore than four times her original value. She was bred after a plan accepted by experts in Island pedigrees as one of the most prepotent crosses, viz.: Golden Lad on Count Wolseley blood, which, in her case, bring tog-ther five lines of Sultana. Her sire, Golden Fern's Lad, is a double grandson of Golden Lad. An important feature in the history of this animal is the great number of highly commended animals in the p<digree of Golden Fern's Sensation.

If a horse at times violently shakes his head and shows distress, it may Fafely be assumed that he is suffering from brain disturbance due to indigestion. In such a case it is advisable to feed the animal wholly on grass or root feed, and see that the bowels are always kept soft, by giving linseed oil or salts.