MAN ON THE LAND.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 69, 14 November 1912, Page 7

MAN ON THE LAND.

Mr J. Polctti, of 801 l Block, from a herd of 18 cows, received from the factory for the year ended August 31, 1912, monthly cheques and bonus to the value of £303 13s lid, which is equal to £l6 17s 5d per cow, in addition to which ho sold £3 worth of milk, which brings the return up to £l7 per cow. This allows nothing for the skim milk given to calves and pigs. No special attention was paid to the cows, which, however, are good grade Jerseys, by a pedigree Jersey bull. Mr Poletti’s practice has been to breed up his herd, and these figures show that it pays to do so. The return per cow is possibly double the average return over the whole of Taranaki, and no doubt if he had more time to devote to his herd—lie has carting and other contracts to attend to—he would bo able to get even higher results (says the Taranaki Herald).

DAIRY RECORD CENTRES

THE LATEST IN COW-TESTING

The “dairy record, centre” is the name that has been given to the new-

ost scheme for the advancement of cow-testing in Canada. An expert is employed who gives his whole time to a limited district. He is required to provide himself with a horse and gig and to get into touch with the farmers within a reasonable radius of a common centre. It is his business to encourage as many as possible of these farmers to weigh the milk of individual cows and to take samples for testing. He must then see that the, samples are properly tested, or do it himself if satisfactory arrangements cannot he made to have it done at the local cheese factory or creamery. Once a year a complete census of all the herds is taken, with full particulars as to breeding, feeding and means taken to improve the average production. With, this work Carried on for a number of -years in the same locality a mass of information will be secured which'ought to be valuable and lead to good results. Six of these dairy record centres were established in the spring of 1911; three in Ontario, two in Quebec, and one in the Maritime Provinces. During the past few months, eight additional men have been employed for as many new centres, and supervisors have been appointed in New Brunswick and in Prince Edward Island.

A rather Unusual dairy incident, is reported by the “Waikato Independent.” A cow calved on an "estate on tlie east side of the Waikato- river, and next morning the calf was on the other s : de of the river. It is surmised that the little stranger in trying its legs ventured too near the brink and fell in, and that the eddying current carried it across to the opposite bank. The anxious mother stood guard at the point were her offspring was, and on being driven to the homestead broke back at the first opportunity. The following afternoon a white heap was observed on the far bank, and next morning a buggy was despatched a distance of six miles to investigate. The object proved to be the calf, alive but feeble. It was conveyed borne and the joy' and satisfaction of the cow dispelled all doubt as to ownership. Both animals are reported to be thriving and the juvenile appears none the worse for its early baptism. A correspondent, writing to Hoard’s Dairyman, asks if there is any foundation for a statement that the Wisconsin Experiment Station bad been crossing Holstein bulls on Jersey cows for the past five years, and had found those cows to be very profitable producers, better than either bred pure. In reply to the above the journal in question says:—“The Wisconsin Experiment Station has never crossed Holstein hulls with Jersey cows, and Professor Humphrey, in writing us regarding this subject says:—‘Some farmers have conceived the idea that the cross of a Holstein, which produces a large quantity of milk testing 3 or 3j per cent., with a Jersey, which produces milk testing in the neighbourhood of 5 per cent., would produce a cow that will give a large quantity of milk and a high percentage of fat. The cross between 'the' Holstein Wird Jersey is a radical one, and too d’ten the result is an animal that produces a smaller quantity of milk than Ho common Jersey and a lower per cent, of fat than the Holstein; in other words, an animal which is about as disappointing as one could possibly secure.’ ”