JERSEY BREEDERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 159, 30 July 1909, Page 4

JERSEY BREEDERS.

PROPOSED TESTING OF COWS. At the last annual meeting of the Jersey Breeders,' 1 Association, 'held at Pahncrston during show week in June, many matters of importance came up for discussion, the most important probably being the question of a scheme for tiio official testing of Jersey cows and keeping a record of these tests. The question was too large to be discussed at this meeting, and was referred to the branch associations for consideration and report. xVs a result of these reports the council of the association will lwmulate a scheme which will immediately be put into effect. The meeting 0 f the Taranaki branch was held' last week at Mr. 15. Griffiths' office. There were present: Messrs. A. 11. Haleombe (in the chair), C. Clark, A. Leppor, R. K Cornwall, J. 1).- Healy, F. \V. Cornwall, .Surrey, Pettigrew, and 15. Griffiths. In regard to the question of cow testing it was decided that it be a recommendation to the council U) take tests on the following lines:— (a) Tests shall be for seven days, i.e., fifteen consecutive mil Kings. The last milking to be made l(f8 hours after the first. The cow must be milked out clean at the first milking, which shall not be recorded in the test.

(b) All applicants must he members of the New Zealand Jersey Cattle Breeders' Association, and the test is only for cattle registered in the New Zealand Jersey Herd jjook. (c) Any owner desiring to have tests made shall apply to the secretary of the X.Z.J.C.B. Association, and the application must be accompanied by 2Us for each cow to be tested, on account of the expenses of the test. The balance of the expenses (if 'any) to be paid by applicant immediately after completion of the test, or if expenses do not reach .L'.l the amount overpaid to be returned to applicant. (d) Immediately following receipt of any application the council will confer with the provincial association to whicli applicant belongs, arrange the place where tile milk shall be tested, and appoint a supervisor of the test, who will make arrangements with the applicant to hold the test.

(e) Printed blank forms for reporting butter tests will be supplied by the association, and tlicy shall provide for;— I.—Name and herd book number of cow. 2.—Age of cow at beginning of test. 3.—Date of last calving and sex and sire of ealf. 4—Sire and dam of cow. s—Weight of milk at each milking. 0. —Date and hour of eaeli milking. 7.—Total weight in lbs of milk. B.—Percentage of butter fat. I).—Total weight of butter-fat. 10.—Signature of supervisor and of tester.

(f) Samples of milk to be drawn in the manner prescribed by Bulletin No. 0 (Dairy Division) of the Government Department of Agriculture. A sahiple of milk must be taken after the milk has been poured three times from bucket to bucket, Mil samples to be preserved \uhlt a o-grain bichromate of potash tablet.

(g) Testing of milk samples to be done at a butter or cheese, in accordance with the Government bulletin No. 0 (referred to in section f) and certified to by the factory manager on the form provided. (h) The council shall entirely control all arrangements and rules for the carrying out of milk tests. (i) The form provided (section e) shall lie signed by the applicant, the supervisor, anil the'factory manager who tests the milk, and the supervisor sijall sign a statutory declaration on the back of the form ,to the effect that he has taken the samples in accordance with the above rules.

(j) All cows testing 12 lbs of butterfat and over will be recorded in the register of merit section of the New Zealand Jersey Herd Book,

(k) The association will pay half of the expenses of the test of any cow which proves eligible for the register of merit.

(1) That a charge of Is be made for every cow tested, these sums to go towards the cost of a gold medal to be presented by tile New Zealand Jersey Cow Breeders' Association each year to the owner of the cow making the higtliest butter-fat secord during tne year. Any cow winning a medal to be ineligible for future competitions.

The object of these tests, of course, are They will have the effect of further popularising the breed and educating farmers in regard to tho producing powers of the Jersey. Kvorv cow tlmt tests the 12 lbs of butter-fat or over in a week, and thus qualifies to l>? recorded in the register of merit, will at once be appreciated in value as well as her progeny. Hull calves from these row* should lie particularly sought after by farmers anxious to improve the but-ter-fat production of their herds.