VALUE OF CO.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 516, 23 March 1920, Page 3

VALUE OF CO.

appearances.no guide.

TESTING ESSENTIAL

A striking lesson on the value of cow testing was presented by the Los Angeles County Farm Bureau at the recent live stock show held in Los Angeles, Southern California. At the conclusion of the judging of some of the dairy classes, the spectators were asked to remained seated, and five cows were led into the ring. It was announced that the cows had been under oflicial test for one year, and that their records would he announced later. It was explained that one of the animals was a grade Jersey, one a grade Guernsey, two grade Friesians, and one a registered Friesian. The spectators were asked to cote, judging from appearances only, and to place the first three cows in the lot according to their net return in money for the year. Desultory dicussion was followed by the most intense interest, until finally the entire crowd, after carefully inspecting the exhibits, was in the ring. The otlicials then asked the champions of each cow to group thtm- ) selves near the favoured animal. I Each cow appeared to have almost I an equal number of champions. One, the grade Guernsey, seemed to be slightly the favourite. The actual records were then announced. The Guernsey showed the poorest record of all. while the cow which had attracted, perhaps, the least attention - the grade Jersey stood first. The astonishment of many of the "pooi- g;uessers" furnished a good background for the message that was now brought before them. In a report written by J. C. Knolin for Hoard's Dairyman, it is* recorded that an officer of the Farm Bureau submitted that "the work of the farm adviser is frequently rendered more difficult by the attitude of certain dairymen who believe that cowtesting is too expensive and that they can estimate the butter-fat coantent of the milk from each of their cows merely by examining" it. The only real test is the butter-fat test. And you have just seen how difficult it is for the average dairyman to select the valuable cows in a herd simply by their appearance." It was further pointed out that the average net return per cow in the United States as a whole was less than that of the lowest record cowused in this test. "Is it any wonder/' the speaker asked, "that the average dairyman considers himself a much abused and down-trodden member of society? How can the dairyman who keeps boarders make any money'.' And how can the man who does not test ascertain which of his cows are the boarders? It would take just 17 cows like this grade Guernsey to make as much money as one like the high-testing grade Jersey. How would you like to milk 17 cows in order to obtain the same return that can be obtained from one?" It was added that the demonstration pointed entirely to individuals and reflected in no way on any breed