FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 388, 13 May 1910, Page 6

FARM AND DAIRY.

THE DAIRY COW. WHAT SHOULD BE SELECTED. DANISH DAIRY-FARMER'S VIEWS. It will be remember that in a recent article, Mr. Andre Jepsen, a Danish dairy farmer who is on a visit to the Dominion, gave me some interesting particulars concerning the liolstein breed of cattle, writes the Masterton correspondent of the Wellington Times. In the course of further conversation Mr. Jepsen gave me some valuable information in connection with selecting a good cow for the dairy. Having decided what breed to raise, the first important step, said Mr. Jepsen, is to know how to.choose a good cow. There are a few general rules. The farmer should see that the cow is as much wedge-shaped as may be; that is, viewing her from the side, that she

increases m height -and depth the farther you go from the head; and from the front, that from a small head and narrow neck ami shoulders she gradually and regularly enlarges to a broad hip and back. Jtier '•mirror" or "escutcheon" should be good and free from depreciating marks. Her milk veins should be large and prominent, and where they enter the stomach that the hole—or better if two —is large and deep; the udder should be full in the forward part and the teats of good size, well separated, and not too projecting towards the sides. The hair and hide , must be soft, mellow and rich. A general examination should show the head small, slender and lengthy from the eye to the nose; the horns thin and open,i not crumped nor too curly; the eye full, but not too .prominent, the latter quality indicating an excitability, and consequent restlessness of disposition that 1; not favorable to the production of milk; the ear lengthy ana broad and well fring-ed with hair, which protects it from the annoyance of flies and indicates a strong constitution; a broad muzzle should be avoided as allowing a tendency to fat; the neck should be loog, flat and narrow, with a tendtcey to ri»3 at the withers, and breadfe behind the arm to ■allow of a full expansion of the lungs, the chest being rather deep than broad. The flat-sided cow, said my informant, is more especially to be chosen if she has depth to the barrel, with ribs bending fairly outward, somewhat the shape of a horse-collar. The hips should be wide, rugged and high and the pelvis or haunches wide and large, drooni.'g towards the tail; the thigh long and lean from hip to hock, the veins being prominent and easily felt. The legs should be slender with flat bones and the feet small, the hind ones having a good width between to afford room for the udder. A long and thin tail is a great point in breeding. The udder, the reservoir pf the milk, to which all former .points are secondary, sliould be flexible and soft with no tendency to flesh. The bag should extend well forward .as level as possible with the bell and high up between the thighs. The feeding veins, said Mr. Jupsen, should be particularly observed. In the heifer with her first calf they must be felt for with the hand. In thi.- i-h-»c two holes will be discovered by p eelin,j under the belly nearly in a line with the navel on each side in good-milking heifers. A.a .age increases the holes Extend and tlie veins beebme large and easily perceived by the eye. The larger these feeding veins appear the greater is the quantity of milk. The teats should l.e well separated, not too fat or fleshy, aud not too long, but sufficiently tight to retain the milk, having a tendency downward. The hide also will be found useful in determining the fitness of particular cows for particular localities, but •has little to do with the milking qualities.

In conclusion, Mi'. Jepsen said that to determine the milking qualities of -.i i-ow many important points have to be considered. In addition to those already mentioned the skin should be fre?, th'n. and may be covered with hair of any color according t,o the breed. TV luii is by some dairy farmers much looted to, and it is believed that when fin? and reaching down to the hocks, -with a tine tuft of hair, it is associated with other good milking points. If, in addition to large milk-veins, the network of veins seen beneath the skin over the forequarters of the udder, and the udder itself and those which pass upward behind towards the tail, are large they are suv.j tests of a competent milker. They, should be highly developed and large, and irregular in zig-zag lines, knotted, and more or less oblique. To estimate them it is necessary to take into account the state of the cow in respect to flesh, the thickness of the skin, food, general •activity, fatigue, journeys and heat. It is necessaiy also to recollect that in both sexes all the veins 'are Larger in the old than in the young.

During the month of April 100,0071bs of butter fat were manufactured at the Eltham dairy factor, as against 142,920 lbs for the corresponding period of last year. The company pay out £OO7O at 10s per lb, against £'5305 for April, 1!!0!). A.supplementary payment of %d per lb will aiso be paid on January, February and March shipments. The factory is now making 70 boxes of butter daily.