WHO SAID STEAK?

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 329, 14 April 1928, Page 25

WHO SAID STEAK?

NEW YORK PRICES MARKET POSSIBILITIES How would you like to pay down 10s for a bit of steak for breakfast? Mr. E. C. Andrews, New South Wales Government geologist, tells us that he paid 10s 5d for a grilled steak in a second-class* York grill room. So now, when somebody complains in Australia about the cost of living. Mr. Andrews is going to tell them to go to—New York. Mutton and Lamb Docs not it suggest possibilities for our meat producers? We are not think'ing here particularly of cattle—when steak is that dear it is time for us to think what price the American consumer can afford to pay for our mutton and lamb. We know that the United States is not a great sheep country. An Australian domiciled in America tells us that the Americans think that “the meanest” use you can put land to is sheepraising. Agriculture, beef production and cotton are greatly preferred. Australian travellers in America tell us that it is very difficult to get real lamb in the hotels or restaurants. This suggests that a big market might be built up in the United States for Australian and New Zealand lamb. Can Pay the Price Of course, there are the livestock interests in America in the way of big importation of Australian and New Zealand meat. They want “the home” market for themselves, but all the indications are that, sooner or later, and probably sooner, the United States could be forced to import large quantities of meat. Keep this in mind, too: The average American consumer can afford to pay the price. In this he is better off than the average British consumer. Once a market is secured in the United States for our meat the price to our producers is likely to be satisfactory. Considerations Admittedly, South America is nearer to the United States markets, and a lot of United States money is invested in South America. Still, there is the consideration that foot-and-mouth disease is prevalent in South America, and the United States is not going to take any risks. Also, there is this: Australia is buying about £40,000,000 worth of goods from the United States, while the United States is buying less than £5,000,000 worth from Australia. Naturally, the United States is exceedingly keen on holding its Australian market and in developing it. But to do this the United States will have to buy more from Australia. As things are. this trade is too one-sided, and it cannot last that way. If the United States is going to buy extensively from Australia, it is likely to buy more particularly wool and meat. For many years, of course, the United States has bought our wool, but the hope is that it will buy more and more. The meat side is yet to be exploited—and the possibilities seem great.

A JERSEY RECORD OLD COW’S PERFORMANCE So many remarkable yields are furnished by the Jersey breed from time to time that each new achievement is accepted as a matter of course. The performance of Daphne’s Twylish of Glenrock, owned by H. A. McDonald, of “Glenrock,” Leeton, Victoria, says the Melbourne “Leader,” should cause considerable interest however in breeding circles in every State. Calved on June 13, 1913, this remarlfable cow, at the age of 14 years, yielded last year 1,0291 b. of butterfat from 14,5321 b. of milk, giving the remarkable average of 7.08 per cent. The yield was given under official test conditions. This may be considered another triumph for the renowned Twylish blood. The sire of Daphne’s Twylish of Glenrock (6112) was Brighton’s Twylish, by Lord Twylish (158), imported by Mr. G. T. Chirnside, from Brighton Countess (864), bred by Mr. Chirnside. The dam of Daphne’s Twylish of Glenrock was Daphne of Cooper’s Shoot (1797), bred by Mr. A. H. McDonald. Although the yield of Daphne’s Twylish of Glenrock does not eq /1 that of the wonder cow, Wagga Gladys, it is an achievement of the highest merit on account of the age of the cow. It speaks well for the constitution of the breed, and Mr. McDonald is to be congratulated on possessing such a rare animal. Wagga Gladys, by the way, is a seven-year-old Jersey, and she is stationed at Hawkesbury Agricultural College, Richmond, New South Wales. In her test last year she produced 20,8351 b. of milk, with an average test of 5.52 per cent., equalling 1,1491 b. butter-fat on twi *.-a-day milking. Both for milk and butter-fat, and particularly in regard to frequency of milking, these figures constitute a world’s record for the Jersey breed for the 365 days’ period. Her production for four consecutive periods as set out by the “Jersey in Australia” was: Teal*. Milk. Butter-fat. Days. 1923 .. 10,543 60S "65 1924- .. 14,950 S3S 365 1925- . . 15,942 SOS 365 1926- .. 20,835 1,149 365 In each year she was milked twice daily, with the exception of 1924-25, when she was milked three times a day. The previous official world record for milk yields by a Jersey was established by Madeleine of Hillside (U.S.A.), which produced 20,6241 b. milk, and 1,0041 b. buter-fat in 365 days, on four times a day milking. For but-ter-fat the previous official world record for a Jersey was that of Darling’s Jolly Lassie (U.S.A.), her production being 16,4251 b. milk and 1,141 lb. buter-fat, with an average test of 6.95 per cent, on four times a daymilking. MILK RECORDING The advantages to be derived from milk recording are many. A writer in the Rhodesian Agricultural Journal includes the following in his list: Milk records indicate to us the poorest cows and those which do not pay for their feed. They prevent our best cows from being sold or slaughtered. They help us to discover great differences in cows as regards persistency in milk flow. They help us to notice variations in yield, and urge us to seek for the cause of these variations. They enable us to bring in larger returns from fewer cows. They help us to build up a profitable herd quickly, because heifers from the best cows only are retained. Financially, the keeping of milk records is of great benefit. Young bulls are frequently sold at much higher prices if milk records of their dams are available than they otherwise would have been.