THE DAIRY

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 17 February 1916, Page 3

THE DAIRY

IMAGINARY CONVERSATION

Between James, AValton, manager of the Innamincka Co - operative Butter Factory, and one of his suppliers—in this instance, Bill Thompson :

Walton : I was out your way yesterday, Bill. You seem to be milking a lot of cows. How many?

Bill: Oh, between 50 and 60. I don't know for certain.

Walton : Bnt you should know. It is the height of folly not to know. Supposing I came to our annual meeting and yon asked me how many lbs of cream it took to make the butter we had produced ; supposing I said I wasn't sure—what sort of a man would you think I was ? Bill: Yes, but that's different. Walton : No. i'.'s not diff-^reut. The men are. different,, that's all. Now, don't go away, Bill. I want to ask you some questions. I '"ant to know what kind of a bull —what breed ot bull—you're using. Bill: A Jersey. Walton : Then how came all those Ayrshire markings and Ayrshire heads ? Bill: I had an Ayrshire before I bought the Jersey, and I had— .Walton : A Shorthorn before that'? Exactly ! I saw it in 'em, Bili: saw it in 'em. How long have you been dairying, Bill ? Bill: Nine years. Walton : And how many bulls have you had in that time ? Bill: Six. ■ Walton :, If you had used a pure^ bred bull of the same breed each time you would have had a pure-bred herd by now, Bill.

Bill: Go on ! What are you gigging- me for ? I know I've got a mongrel herd. L know its got «v^ry colour of the rainbow in it—but what can a follow do ? I haven't the money for a purebred herd.

Wai ton : Bill! What you lack is brains, not money ! I tell you that if you had started with a purebred bull —Je/bey, Ayrshire, Shorthorn, it j matters not which—and had stuck to that breed of bull right along, seeing to it that each bull you bought was registered in its herd book, every now on your herd book, every cow on your place to-day would be eligible for entry into the book of its particular breed. Bill: Well, I never knew that. I thought— ; Walton : How much fat does each cow give a week ? Bill : Ask me something easy ! I don't know. Do you think I'm at the Technical College ? Walton (perseveringly): Well, let us do what you generally do. Let's guess. Let's say that the average test is 3.2 per cent fat And let us say that the average ,niilk yield oi your herd is 6.62Ub5( of milk. It isn't, of course. Thut's Tom Green--field's average, Youv average is more like 4.0001b5, but 'we'll say 6,621. At 3.2 test that'^243-/13lbs butter' in the year from each cow. That's what Tom gets. You^ don't get anything like that. But supposing your average test was 3.8 per cent—and it might easily have been had you been using pure-bred sires from butter strains. Supposing it were 3.8 per cent —the yield would be 20b^lbs —just 46lbs more in the year. At 1/ lb that is £2/6/- year more, or a total increase in your income, on 60' cows, of £138. Bill, I ask you a question : Have j'ou been lying to yourself all these years about the purebred bull, or have papers like the "Farm Bulletin " been doing the lying ?

Bill : Mr Walton, 1 never had anyone explain the thing like that for me before. Honestly, I haven't. If the manager before you had spoken like you have to me, I'd been a thousand pounds better off to-day. I s< je it now. Will you do me a favour, Mr Walton ? Will you keep my cheque this month, and send it away for a purebred ? It it cost two cream chpques I won't mind. You're right. I'm wrong. The missus and kids have been telling me so for years. You can rub it in as much as you like—go on, rub it in.

Walton : No, Bill, I won't rub it in. Nobody will ever hear about this from me. It's you who have made up your mind. I only called in at the labt to advise. I don't want to do tho buying. You do that yourself. Take a trip to one of the big markets next month and have a look through some of the stud herds. Having decided what breed you waut you'll find a bull to suit you. Ta-ta! Good luck !