UNIFORM SYSTEM WANTED

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 485, 15 October 1928, Page 12

UNIFORM SYSTEM WANTED

SURVEY OF SITUATION (Special to THE SUXJ WELLINGTON, Friday. ' Each of the four systems in operation has much to justify its continuance,” says the Department of Agriculture in a survey of the present situation, issued in reply to requests that an endeavour should be made to institute a uniform system for testing milk and cream. “The Certificate-of-Reeord system is used by breeders of stud dairy stock for the purpose of obtaining certificates respecting the ‘authenticated’ production of certain animals, the progeny of which is expected to be purchased by other stud breeders as well as dairy farmers. The Official Herd Test system is for use by breeders. This test is at a lower fee than the Certi-ficate-of-Record testing and the record of production is not so fully authenticated. It provides the breeders with information at a reasonable cost and at which the breeder can usually afford to test his whole herd for the sake of getting information for purposes of improvement x-ather than selling. “The Group system of testing crossbred or grade cows suits those dairy farmers who. prefer to pay an independent person to do the weighing and sampling. This applies more particularly to herds milked by machines. The system is more favoured by that class of dairy farmer which desires to uso the records for the purpose of selling individual cows from the herd. The cost usually amounts to about 5s per cow per season for the Group method of testing. The Association method suits the needs of dairy farmers who desire the information for the purpose of building up their herds. Such herd owners take their own milk weights and samples, and the testing and figuring is done by the association or dairy company. This service usually costs from 2s to 2s 6d per cow per season and the service is satisfactory for the purpose intended. There is therefore justification for each of the four systems as each caters for a special set of circumstances.”