COW TESTING ASSOCIATION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 315, 5 January 1909, Page 4

COW TESTING ASSOCIATION

"Although there are many lirst-clasi herds of dairy rows in New Zealand, it is well-known that thousands of the cows now being milked are a financial failure; and the time has arrived when something should be done to conviuct the owners that such is the case."

Illiit is one oi the very dciinito and significant statements contained ill Air. D. Caddie's report on "Dairying in Denmark" in which he points out some of the desirable directions in which New Zealand dairy-farmers may follow in the footsteps of Denmark. Air. Cuildie shows in his report how sueh "financial failure" may be avoided here, and how it is avoided and the he-ds brought to the highest pitch of profit by the Banes. Co-operation is the watchword, of the Danes, anil it is the keynote of all their success. "One cannot visit the dairy factories ami farms,'' says oar Dairy Commissioner,

•'without seeing the benefits which are derived from the extension of cooperation amongst the farming community of Denmark." Out of a total of 1350 Danish dairy factories in ex.-, islencc, 1100 belong to the farmers, 200 are owned by individual proprietors, iiiid only ">0 private dairies are in operation. The dairy farmers work together for betterment in every branch of their work. They combine to do a great many beneficial things which are either left to (lie individual in New Zealand or are, altogether neglected. To show the strength and scope of Hie co-operative svstenn of the Danes, Air Cuddic cites the following associations: —Cow-testing.' buttcrconipctitiun, butlcr-markcling, cattlebreeding, egg-collecting, reading, milkjudging, 1111 tier-control, butter-branding, horse-breeding, printing, and n statistical bureau. The most valuable of these, ill Air Cuddie's opinion, are the cow-testing associations, and it is these associations that would prove invaluable in this country by enabling (he dairy-fanner to build up his herd to I lie lit most", point of profit by the process of testing the individual performance of cverv cow in tile herd, rejecting those thiil it did '.lot pay to keep and replacing them with voung stock bred I'niiii the best in the'herd'. Cowtesting associations were started in Denmark in 1N!).">. Onlv two began work in that year, but 'at the end of •IDO7 the number had increased to 473, with a membership of 10,737, testing ami kcc|iiag the records of 1R3.01S cows. Kadi association has an average memship of fifteen, and an official is employed li> go round from farm to farm to Weigh and test the milk, and also to keep the records, including (lie cost of the feed given to each cow. Kae'i farm is visited twice a mouth, and

samples and weights nf the iiiilk ilre taken at i-arli milking, of which there are usually three n day. It is found tliul tin' cows give a larger <|iiiiiitity when milked three times instead of twice daily. One of the best ilniryrng districts in Denmark is tile Island of Kyon, aid when visiting there Air. Cinldic was informed thai HIT associations were in full working order in that district, and the milk from some 42,110 cows was being regularly tested and neighed. "The annual report of the conihined associations in this district," writes Mr t'uddie, '-shows that in 1003—4, 422 farmers had herds of cows producing an average of 30011. of butter per cow. The following year the number had increased to 474, while, to 1007-8 no less than 033 fanners in this district alone owned herds of cows which were producing n yearly average of 3001b of butter per cow. T,ast year the average yield of the whole 42,110 cows being tested in the Fyen district amounted to 07241b of milk, testing 3.4 per cent, or over 22Slb of lmttPT-fat per cow. Refcrrhg back to the figures of ten years ago, T find thai the average yield per <Wwas 7001b of milk less per annum than it was last year, and tile testing associations hiive been instrumental in bringing about this satisfactory increase Fit I the returns. .Enquiries were made us to the average yield of milk and butterfat from the whole of the cows supplying the factories in Denmark, and ' I was informed that this iniiv be taken at fiOOOll. of milk and about 20011. of butter-fat per cow, which is prol.al.lv an average of oOlb of hill tor-fat per 'cow higher than in Xcw Zealand. Many of the cows in Denmark produce over 10,00011, of milk per annum. In one district I visited (he number of herds of cows producing between 000011. and 10,0001b of milk per annum was forty-

It will bo seen from the facts enumerated, lakeii in conjunction with Air Cuchlie's statement that comparatively little of lids work of weighing and testing has been undertaken in'Xew Zealand, thill; this is a most importn nl question for the dairy-fanners of this country from the nrolil-mnkiii"- poinl of view. Air fuddle thinks that if the weighing and testing' of (he milk f njll , the cow-l in one district could be undertake;, by the Department, it; would have thi' efl'cct of creating an interest, m the formation of co-operative cowtesting associations throughout the iJomininii, and finally result in making dairy farming a much more prolilable industry than if is at present One would scarcely think it, necessary (as a contemporary points out), to wait for the Depart incut to move in a matter of such immediate interest to the dairy farmers who should be only, 100 willing to initiate the work themselves.