MIXED TOPICS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 81, 2 April 1912, Page 3

MIXED TOPICS.

FOli THE DAIRY FARMER'S CONSIDERATION.

In dealing with the varied questions and topics of interest to the dairy farmer, one has of course always to boar in mind that it is impossible in any one paper to deal effectively with every phase of even one important feature. As some of your readers have expressed a desire for more, the writer feels his humble efforts of the past have been appreciated, and this amply compensates him for the time spent in the production of the papers. In my article on cow breeding I purposely refrained from advocating the merits of any particular breed or type. Opinions do and always will differ, and one who really knows tlie question thoroughly will always best tate to he emphatic, or to thrust his own opinions down the throat of otln ers. Again, no one who knows will accept all the theory advanced on the subject, as theory and practice do not always blend harmoniously. lA friend of mine was once in charge of a calf-roaring experiment carried out on certain lines by an eminent professor of agriculture, wiio for obvious reasons shall he nameless. The food given was on .a certain experimental basis, and in theory argued well. My friend had charge of the calf and his duties were to feed il on the prescribed ration, and weigh the calf daily and carefully record the effects. The actual result was that the calf grew thinner and lighter as the experiment continued, hut when the learned professor’s paper on tin subject was delivered my friend war astonished at the lingo success of the experiment. My friend is a tiior oughly practical man, and a dairy farmer, and he has since had little fait) in theory, not any more than the writer .has of the recently disclosed efficacy of sixteen pennyworth of. meal proving a balanced ration witi pasteurised whey to fully rear a calf At any rate if practice has demon strated this to lie ample, it quite up sets the theoretical issue, and seemingly proves the calves thrived in spite of the use of meal rather than from the use of it. What the writer wishes to convey by these remarks is that such instances as quoted arc not sound education for our dain farmers, and should be avoided rathei than followed.

I have been requested to give im views on suitable crosses in breeding a dairy herd. There is a saying that “man (fools) will often rush when angels fear to tread” ; and I feel that when entering on this delicate subject that I am on pretty slippers ground, and must tread the path wit!' reservation and extreme caution. First, then, let it be understood that nearly .all breeders have a bias towards their particular fancy, and the writer is very human on this point. Ho by no means, however, would argue that lie alone knows better than others. Now, the suitability of crosses depends greatly upofi whether the farmer elects to follow clicoge making or butter making, Aft<|i in his first selection ho should be govf erned by that intention. The three recognised breeds are Jersey, Ayrshire, and the Holstein Friesian. The Shorthorn can he left out as far as the light high lands of Dannevirko are concerned, as this breed takes too much keeping up in the winter to lie profitable. Now, whilst the Jersey breed is parexcellence from a butter making standpoint, the two latter breeds dc serve some weighty consideration when cheese is the article favoured. The writer 'has no time whatever for the so-called dual purpose cow. To any thinking dairyman she is a huge fal lacy. The great point is that the bull selected of whichever breed is chosen. Now our farmers usually start and must lie absolutely pure blooded, often unfortunately continue with a

herd of mixed or all-breed type, mostly mongrel. Having then elected to follow one of the throe suitable breeds ho will obtain a blood bull—the best his pocket will allow. Ry weighing and testing of the individual rows he will locate the “star” performers of his herd, and if wise will specially mark the heifer calves from these cows to build up his herd. The first bull will probably last him three seasons; he must then select another of the same breed, hut. from another family, and if possible when making this selection choose an animal that is

likely to counteract any constitutional defects noticeable in the former, and continue breeding on those lines until the chosen blood predominates, nr has practically eliminated . the original mixed blood. This may take seven m eight years, or perhaps more. If then he elects to follow another fancy he will then choose a first-class hull of another breed and cross on the cows until a similar result is attained.

Tito keeping of a Jersey hull for a season or so, to he changed then to Ayrshire, and from that to Holstein Friesian, will as 'likely as not result in a “bubble and squeak” mixture that! su either fish, flesh, or good red herring, and will he most .noticeable by the production of freaks rather than by any standard of excellence. Many brooders will advocate that in-breeding will produce the highest producing cow, and bo inclined to combat the practice 1 have laid down. .1 am not prepared to deny their contention, but for the average farmer, especially those farming on the hind surrounding Dannevirkc, where the winters are often severe and the springs late, he could not risk the lowering of the constitution that so often follows in-breeding. Whilst undoubtedly high milking qualities arc porepotrated by in-broediag, sn also are constitutional defects inten-

sifted. The average dairy fanner must above al tilings ensure good constitution in his cows. The statement so often made that Jersey cows are - delicate is an absurd statement. If bred on right constitutional lines she is as hardy as the Ayrshire or Holstein Friesian, and will live and thrive in the winter on pasture a Shorthorn cow would starve on. On the other hand, if you continue in-breeding of the Jersey blood you will got a delicate, fragile creature, that will need extreme care, such as no hush farmer could give, though you may obtain wonderful producers if given the requisite care and attention. The question of flat, rich land versus moderate quality and slightly hilly land is made far too much of in arguments. Has not nearly every dairy farmer a few odd cows of exceptional merit, and far above the average, yet grazing on the. same pasture as those not paying their food bill? Is it then the land, or the cow that is at fault ? If you asked the writer ii a farmer could keep as many cows on a given area of moderte land as ho could on rich land he would ask you to get examined quickly to ascertain if you wore mentally deficient. Any sane man must also recognise the extreme difficulties of men settled on raw bush sections, and cannot expect them to At once apply the same rules as those settled on moderately cleared areas. Jt is quite out of the question that men on rough, timbered country can do, or expect to dp, as well as those on country that has passed through its clearing stages. The writer has personally gone through the experience of the -bush Settlers, and can truly sympathise with their many difficulties; and he well knows that advice is cheap compared with the carrying out of that advice. He knows full well the settler has a quantity of feed for a few months, and that if this feed is not kept down fairly well that the pasture will suffer from want of bottom soon after the early frosts set in. He also knows that the finer grasses are not suited to this class of country, and that cocksfoot in time predominates, and above all he knows, and knows too well, that most of those early struggle'rs carry far too many milking cows during the flush of the season for their welfare. The only advice one can tender to Ids class oi farmer is to go cautiously and feel their way in, but they should set a standard that will each year lead them onward and upward. The difficulties can be partially, if not wholly met, by carrying other stock than all dairy ertws in the flush of the season, and by striking a happy medium. 1 mean they should run a few heifers that will come along to replace their Culls drafted out. Those heifers will often stand a severe winter that would prove fatal to the cows after having had their constitutions weakened by the season’s milking.

To further practically illustrate what I mean by the cows playing a more important feature in .successful dairy farming than the land I will relate you my own experience. Eight years ago on the same land I now occupy, or I should say with ten acres more than is now occupied, thy' herd average was 1001 b of butterfat per cow per annum less than they now produce* and I am carrying 35 per cent more stock than I used then to do. It is the same land, but not the same cows. Let it be understood the cows are assisted to do this by lining well done by, and the land lias been made more productive by practical treatment. There is plenty of land equally as good, that if properly treated would respond just as well, but cows must be bred to give the results.

In the writer’s opinion it takes from 15 to 20 years to reach the hallmark, and a steady perseverance, systematic breeding and intense culling must bo followed. It only takes a, few years, however, to raise the standard to something far better than we have been reading about lately, and if the statement made recently that practically all the suppliers in a block only average three and threeeighths pounds of fat per cow per week in mid-season, if this is correct then all I can say is that one wonders how they live at all. It is, however, to be hoped that the statement was a mild exaggeration.

In my next paper I will go into the matter of “Herd-testing Associations,” “Culling the wasters,” and suggesting some system whereby these robbers should be prevented from being passed on as milkers. Unfortunately the average dairy farmer does not sufficiently concern himself as to the well-being of his fellow-farmer, and sometimes looks on the man who tries to help him as having some ulterior motive in view, some personal gain to win, some secret axe to grind. Oh, what a perplexing question human nature is, especially where cow nature is concerned. J.B.V.