“FORM AT A GLANCE.”

Shannon News, 6 November 1923, Page 3

“FORM AT A GLANCE.”

IMPOSSIBLE WITH COWS.. / Mr Curie, of the Government Dairy Division, addressing a meeting of farmers at Carterton, said that it was folly to think that New Zealand cows , were greatly behind '.those of Denmark in butter-fat production. Statistics showed that the average per cow

was 1721 b., but as many dry came in ' to'the computation the average could easily be increased another 10 per cent/ 1 Still, there was room for big improvement. - Mr Curie considered that dairy farmrs were foolish to \Vorry alb Out what they might lose on cows culled through testing. He quoted the experience of one small farmer, who, on adopting testing, found that his 20 cows only averaged him 95.581 b of butter-fat. He cut out seven and with the extra feed thus provided the cows 'averaged 1701 b of butter-fat and he got actually in cash more from the 19 than from the 26.. This man„. had he given the cull cows away, would have lost nothing on the transaction. Mr Curie also told of a dairy, farmer, who purchased a Jersey cow for £3O to come in to milk at a certain date! As she was a little backward he insisted on an exchange and got it. The rejected cow when put under a test proved a record-breaker, thus 'again dispelling-the theory that good cows can be picked without testing. :Mr D. Hebenton said that it was a physical' impossibility to tell the butter-fat producing qualities of any , - cow without a test. He related the ! case of the champion butter-fat producer in Taranaki. Two brothers, who had' been milking together, decided to separate, and each was to pick cow for cow from the Jersey herd. The cow that was left to the last was the animal that now held the butter-fat record.