FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 229, 21 September 1908, Page 4

FARM AND DAIRY.

The Moa Fanners' Co-operative Dairy Co. received 207,15i1bs of milk, confining 10.1541bs of butter-fat, for which was paid out £423. The highest test was 4.8. The tests of the Makctawa dairy factory are at (he present time extremely low, ranging from 3 to 3.8. A dairy farmer around the lnglewood district has, out of about a dozen cows calved, already lost a couple of the best cows of his herd, ibriiiging his total loss of cows for about eight years up to 45. The present period of the year is a source of (rial for factory-manager!', on account of the varying quality of the milk supplied. As a consequence none of this season's butler graded at Moturoa has reached the lirst grade. A fair amount of produce is arriving at Moturoa—more than was the case this time last year, Jt is expected that with fair weather conditions prevailing, the number of (boxes of butler put through the graders' hands this season will be over 200,0110.

llreaking-in the heifer is always a more or less troublesome expcrienc'.'. No violence on any account be used; s he must be mastered by kindness and controlled by firmness. No man fhould attempt tlw job who cannot control his anger. Where the calves ale few they can be nccustoiiied to having the teats -handled long before the time arrives for them to yield up their milk. ISut where heifers are unused to being bailed up and touched, the treatment resolves itself into a battle of patience between man and boast. With the, head placed well against the Hank, take a lirm hold of the right hind teat with' the left hand, and of the front fore teat with the right hand. If she tries to kick stand linn, still'en the neck, and hold on to the teats with a bull-dog grip. If the hold is maintained she can kick but little and cannot .hit anybody or anything. The length of the struggle, depends upon the disposition of the animal. Some are more stubborn and determined than others, and may put up a bold light at the lirst milking, repealing it with less violence at the second and third. Very soon the heifer w'll desire to be milked lo be relieved of the weight of the udder. Ally heifer, broken in by tying with ropes, is only half broken. The main object in view is to milk the animal without violence, but to milk her in spite of opposition. The popular supposition Mint at freezing point any considerable multiplication of bacteria is impossible, is, according to tire results of experiments recorded in the. Journal of the American Medical Association, iaeorreet. Milk of tho. cleanest sort, containing, when lirst put into tile eolil-sforage-room, only a few hundred bacteria in the cubic centimetre, showed . by Hie end .of a week a pronounced growth of organisms, and after five or six weeks at freezing point the number I reached hundreds of .-millions in thei cubic centimetre. This mulitiplication | took place in spite of the fact Hint | at this temperature the milk was a

semi-solid mass of iee crystals, and it Is important to note that the milk gave no odour or taste to indicate that it lias contaminated. Neither did the milk curdle on heating. These experiments show that milk is not necessarily wholesome because it is sweet. The Farmers' L'niori Artvocale publishes the following letter which Mr. J. 11. Wilson, President of the New Zealand Farmers' I'nion, has received from ilr. 10. Clifton, Chief Inspector of Stock and Director of Experimental Farms, in reply to au invitation to ]iivpare a report relative to the deterioration of pastures: "The deterioration of pastures is decidedly one of the most important questions we have to consider at the present time. In fact, it is so large that one almost fears to consider it. The application of fertilisers appears to be so costly as to be almost prohibitive. I'robably something more useful might be done if the exigencies of management would permit of it, and that would be the alternation of sheep and cattle, and protably. too, the removal of stock at certain periods of the year to allow tile grass full opportunity of seeding. However, as these are tilings entirely dependent on the financial aspect, and the power of the occupier to apply, I Hey are spoken of merely as possibilities. Before doing anything further in this matter. I shall afford myself an opportunity of visiting the country, and generally interviewing settlers. After my visit to them I shall certainly avail myself of the opportunity of discussing the qiiwlion with vnu, as you have so kindly held out the invitation for mo to do so."