HERD TESTING.

Otaki Mail, 7 May 1923, Page 3

HERD TESTING.

To the Editor. Sir, —As a Hcrd-t'esting Association has been formed at Te Horo I thought this clipping might interest sorno of those who have not joined it: —“An actual instance of the value of herdI testing has been supplied by the Waikato Farmers’ Union Herd-testing Association. Before the current season commenced, a Taupiri farmer, who had not been testing, discarded three cows which he regarded as culls. He received £lO for them, or a little more than j their value as stores. A neighboring farmer bought- the culls and milked them with his herd this season. He tested hs herd and found that for six ! periods the three cows he had bought so cheaply yielded no less than 641.411 b of butter-fat. The individual performances of the cows were: No. 1, 173 days milked, 230.411 b butter-fat; No. 2, 183 days milked, 246,911 b; No, 3, 77 days milked. 164,11 b. Two of the cows have three 30-dav periods to go to complete the season, while the third has a con- j aiderably greater lactation period not completed. This instance demonstrates that the value of a milking cow can be gauged only by the use of the tester, and the scales. Another cow in the same herd has given 518,411 b of butterfat in 217 days. The average yield for the mixed herd of 71 cows owned by the

farmer referred to is expected to exceed 3001 b of butter-fat for the season, a. quantity that is very considerably in excess of the average Dominion yield. Keen, interest in the Waikato Farmers’ Union Herd-testing Association is being taken by farmers in various parts of the Dominion. Mr K. W. Dalymplc*, president of the Wellington Central ■executive of the Farmers’ Union, paid an official visit to tlxo Waikato Union’s office at Hamilton, and made inquiries iuto the union’s herd-testing scherao. He congratulated the union on the good work it was doing, and stated that nearly every branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union was interested in tho Waikato herd-testing enterprise. Ho invited tho trganiscr, Mr A. Schmitt, to visit Rungitikci and lay the scheme before the farmers there. The Te Kowliai group of tho Herd-testing Association has contracted for the testing of a further 300 cows, which represent increases in the herds to be milked at- Te Kowhai next seas'on. estimated to produce uu increase iu yield of 60001 b of butter-fat for the district.” if. NORGROVE.