HOW TO BUILD UP A DAIRY HERD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81854, 1 October 1906, Page 3

HOW TO BUILD UP A DAIRY HERD.

PAPER BY MR J. G. HARKNESS.

"How to Build up a Dairy llcrd" is the title of a pamphlet issued by the daily division of the Depart ni'-nt of Agriculture, and written by Mr J. G. 1 larkness, Secretary of the National Dairy Association, The pamphlet is decidedly interesting, and will no doubt he read with profit by dairymen generally.

Mr. I larkness begins by pointing out the iact "that the manufactured articles made from milk in ehis colony now exceed in value £? : 250.000 l>er annum, ." and g'"tN 011 to urge that "one of Ihe conditions which is neai at hand is keener competition, with its attendant c lower values." 1, is funlislmess. |, O says, it> bo ! siei U p ourselves with the expectation that Uii'ie will be a ennImuaiicc of ih.' hiL>h prices which have been ruling in the maikeU of the world. and the great problem which fact's the dairymen of to-day is thai — k, ls it possible to reduce the cost of manufacture and marketing' su as to obtain better net results for the producer; or can we decrease the eost of production by producing more at piescnl cos; r" in rolVrenee to the 1 former, he says, savings in some i\\renjons may b? effected; the latter may, by attention, skill, and judicious management bo added to by at j.l 1-J P°i ceuL, and that wcu'd e-j.il.ilisli Hi? industry on a permanent

and >• ,1 i*!arioi v basis. ','iiUs whieh pr»diii '■ iXolb of bi Her fat pe r M-asun (which lie states i.s a l;ii: average) do not pay ; the quanli'y cini'fj anil should be raided to J4.1 M>. To cfiVfi this end lie urges farjmrs '•» acquire as much knowledge a* po.shibie of matters relating to their calling, and then deal with the causes of unprotitab'rness. Selection and cubing' have ivg hvt/d, and a large peiecntage of cows used f<»dairying- pmpeMs aie not adapted (ov the fu'fiimem of th<- eor,diu>ns for wiii.-h I hey ;.]>• k-'jit, in eonsequente i.l 'lie u-e ol sires thai are "mongrel," or nut capable of producing ii.dkeis. I hirdlv. tuanv never haw: 'it- opporluuiiy. thiough wain vY pjopej tteatnrnt, to develop their best milking qualities. Mr. | larkness condemns the piactice of keeping' a cow which is intended to be used for milkill v and fur Hie eventual supply of beet--Ihe "dual puip'ise cow. 5 ' ''lf y<»u want tin milk-pail t.> pay \\ s Xl \. 1111 si iu> fer l| )r animal that will pm the beSi qua'i'y and the greate-t

(pian'ity in'o it. of any other

h' el. go In! the elements that pmclin «• it in the ([ui'k' -t time, at least cost, an:! of line-i qua'ity." It js only necessary to have a carefuliv selected herd m obtain tV best result- 1 , but full provi-ioji muM be made for tln-ir niainleivin«-<\ On this head he eives some valuab'e advice, and from this pein* the pamphlet assumes a technical chataeler, d«'a ling- wi:h breeding- and the influence of the

male, the necessity of a thorough test

<M r;sch ;»ni ni;■ I for quality, quantity, and 'o«j>th cf line in milk. "Testing," 1 1 c rcmaiks "will nr.t only disOf irco;!. u ui'l a'sn ihohad. Thai uliat wo want. ('nil iho (liiflVix and liim them into b'vf without delay. As daily rows, slum them as you wmiM an epidemic f cholera. All cows culled from herds, owners ought by legislation to be

compelled to brand with a broad arrow, so as to prevent the possibility of tho same being' exposed for sale publicly or privately, and thus palmed off on to some unsupecling faimer. . . . Tho average dairyman dreads to undertake this work (testing) because of its apparent vastness. Notwithstanding this faet, it is aeser-

'"d with confidence that without the application of this test, there is but a poor prospect ahead of such a one. Sooner or later we will awake to the fact that, despite our natural advantages, some other country has whipped us at our own game. The cost of manufacture cannot well be decreased, but there can be a mighty increase of production at the same cost, and in this direction lie our safety and salvation." The pamphlet is illustrated with the pictures of some well knrwn prize-winners.