FARM AND DAIRY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 211, 15 December 1910, Page 7

FARM AND DAIRY

THE TARANAKI SEASON So far as the season lias gone it is generally conceded that while there .snould be an increase in milk production in Taranaki this season the increase will only be brought about by reason of the new areas being girai up "to milk production, areas which have hitherto been utilised for the production of beef cattle, and sheep (says the Wellington Times). Rains have been abundant enough—the district has had its usual good share of moisture—but the spring and early summer rains were too often followed by cold drying winds, which counterbalanced to a great extent the desirable moisture. The warm rains, so essential to the proper development of pastures and the wellbeing of stock, were quite absent. Under the circumstances the majority of herds have shown no exceptional production. Troubles which have come upon' dairy herds of recent years have also assisted to reduce the aggregate m.

yield. In the beginning of the season contagious abortion, sterility and milk fever have all contributed to a depletion of returns, while as the season has progressed contagious mammitis has been a cause of further serious loss. Unfortunately these drains on the dairy farmer's profits ihave too often fallen on those who are in a poor position to bear them —men of little capital struggling along under a heavy interest burden. A case came under the writer's notice the other day where a man who had started out this season to try and make milk production pay on land purchased at £65 per acre (possession being secured on payment of' ooily a modest £IOO deposit) had .the other week,to put thirty cows in the saleyards because of their being rendered [useless owing to their having become affected with contagious mammitis. Of course the farmer was probably not altogether to blame in thffe case. The disastrous trouble in question is infectious, and had the first cows affected been isolated at once the disease would have been checked Where milking machines are used it is imperative that the greatest care should be exercised to ward off this insidious affection.' It is not only necessary to maintain the machine in a sanitary state, but it should be frequently disinfectea. It is not so easy 'to detect the presence of ihe disuse with the machine as with hand milking. Therefore it is all the more necessary cise vigilance when milking ty tfe mechanical method. *

Notwithstanding the losses through dieease, and other drawbacks Consequent on increased price of land, increasing depletion of soil fertility and advanced cost of production, the Taranaki daifry farmer is doing very ■well. He is having a better season than many dairymen in other parts of the Dominion; the prices being received for his produce are most satisfactory, arid he is now awaking tothe economic value of better-bred dairy bulls, of* top-dressing pastures, and of the. proper feeding of stock in the drier months and during winter. y

THE MILKING SHORTHORNS

Mr. Joe B. Simpson writes as follows:~ At a meeting of farmers not many weeks ago a discussion ensued as to the merits of.. Jersey arid other breeds .-the dairyman's point of view.'. Some piarts of the discussion Were very interesting, inso-1 rautth as that it showed several reason* why the Shorthorn as a railker has gone to leeward, the principal fact being that those who bred pedigree stuff did not trouble in any way as regards milking points. When -we are told that with heifers we must work the udder in all ways, that we must milk the animal as long as possible to develop its. milking capabilities, and such-like advice, as. being the methods that obtain in the first dairying part of the world it is easily understandable (when the system of the socalled colonial pedigree breeders is explained) that a move should be made to develop or regenerate the Shorthorn. as the ideal cow for the colonial farmer. In the November Journal of the Agricultural Department Mr. Primrose McConuell, the acting manager at Mo amah a ki, has a Very interesting article on the subject, and one which I think should obtain widespread circulation. In the Old Country they are inaugurating Shorthorn Breeders' Associations, as it is recognised that something must be done, in the Dominion we have Jersey Breeders' Associations to further the interests of that breed, and I see no reason why a Shorthorn Association cannot be put on the same footing. Ido not wish to detract from the value of the Jersey in any way, but there is still a large portion of Taranaki that is and will be for many years' unsuitable for Jersey cows; and then, also, 1 the dual purpose cattle must not be lost sight of. ,-I enclose a newspaper cutting as to the recent dairy show is London, and I am sure it will be of interest as showing that the Shorthorn breed are capable of doing good things if encouraged rightly: — "The milking trials and butter tests at the leading shows in England where such competitions are held form interesting studies. In New Zealand an attempt is being made to show that there are practically only- two breeds of cattle that are profitable for dairy farmers to keep, and yet it is to be seen that in England there are a number of breeds that are not only heavy milkers but are profitable butter-fat producers. Even the pedigree Shorthorns, too often despised by those who really know nothing of the breed, are capable of putting up splendid records. The first prize pedigree Shorthorn in the milking trials at the late London Dairy Show average for two days' milking 59.31b of milk, testing 4.78 per cent, of butter-fat, while the second prize cow gave 53.3 ib of milk, with a test of 5.58. The two leading Shorthorn heifers, under three years of age, averaged 37.91b of milk, test 4.08, and 39.21b of milk, test 3.7, respectively. The leading non-pedigree Shorthorn cow won with an average of 64.61b of milk, with a test of 3.92, and the next best 64.51b of milk ,testing 3.9. The Lincoln Red Shorthorns again demonstrated their fine milking qualities. The winning cow averaged's6.3lb of milk, testing 3.43, and the second prize-taker 53.31b of milk, testing 3.63. The first prize Jersey cow produced on an average for two days 45.11b of milk, with a test of 5.22, and the second cow 34.61b of milk, testing 6.59, an exceptionally high test, .the morning's milk having averaged 7.89. The best Red Poll cow gave 59.61b of milk, testing 3.16, and the second 44.21b of milk, with a test of 4.26. South Devoins are coming to the front as milkers, and the first prize-taker gave 62.81b of milk, testing 3.53, and the next best 61.31b of milk, with a test of 3.63. It is a well-1 known fact ttet cows seldom do justice | to themselves in the show yard, and the j two days' milking at the London Dairy I Show, indicates this, for the majority of! the prize-winning cows gave lib to 211) j more milk on the second day than on the j first, whilst a number of cows failed to; come up to the minimum standard of i points allowed. In the Jersey butter i tests the winning cow gave 351b 15oz of milk, producing 21b 3oz. of butter, and the second prize-taker, which was the j winner in her class in the milking trials, i gave loz. of butter less. In the Short-1 horn butter test the two leading cows in ! the milking trials for pedigree animals I reversed, their positions, the winner producing 21b 14y 2 oz. of butter, and the sec-, ond 21b Of eighteen Jersfey cows entered seven gave 21b and over per day, and of thirty Shorthorn cows eleven gave 21b and over. The Lincoln Red Shorthorns did not come out as well at the London Dairy Show' as at the Royal Show teste.

IMPROVEMENT OF OUR LIVE STOCK A®. E. SHORT'S ENTERPRISE. Mr. E. Short, of Feilding, who returned from his trip abroad 0n.... Sundn; 1 , brought from England some very valu- i able stock, including the most important | , collection of Hereford cattle that, has I been landed in this country in the one I ! consignment. | | THE OLD TYPE CLYDESDALE. The most interesting members of Mr. Short's collection are two Clydesdales, a yearling stallion and a twelve-year-old mare, (lark bays, more of the type of tile original Clydesdale than of the fashionable Scottish stamp of the present day, And for this reason they will be welcomed. The colt has all the makings of a great stallion, combining, as he docs, quality with substance. , He is credited with having excellent action. Mr. Short says he absolutely failed to get anything of the stamp he required in Scotland, and the horses he has brought out, just what he was after, were secured in England, in Yorkshire. The colt was purchased at 400 guineas, and the mare cost an equal sum—a big price for a mare of her age, but she was the type this country demands, and they are very scarce at Home now. SOME FINE HEREFORDS.

Mr. Short has imported a collection of Her if on! s, which should considerably enhance the reputation of his herd. It comprises a three-year-old bull, a tenmonths bull calf, a four-year-old cow, and six heifers. The older bull is an*animal of magnificent proportions, undeniably a. high type and flesh, to the hocks. The cow is" also a great specimen of tihie breed, and the heifers are all of a high standard. The three-year-old bull was purchased from iMr. Smith, of Monkton, Herefordshire, but it was bred by the noted breeder, Pulley.

TWO ROMNEYS.

Mr. Short has been distinctly unfortunate witih his English Romney importations. He purchased, in conjunction with Mr. J. Knight, of Feilding, the English champion two-shear ram of C. File. At the recent Ashford ram show and sale, the event of the year in the Romney world of England, Mr. File's ram won the Guntiher challenge cup (for the best ram entered and sold at "the show and sale)., valued:at 50 guineas, by the unanimous vote of six judges, also a cash prize of 20 guineas presented by the Liebig Extract of 1 Meat Company. Mr. Short paid 170 guineas for the ram auction. It died on the voyage. Thus the two best English rams Mr. Short has imported have died., a former one before it could be made much use of. Then he lost the great ram: he exhibited at Buenos Ayres, „due no doubt to the unhealthy condition of the sheep pavilion at the big Argentine shew, a palatial structure* but very badly ventilated, and suffocating at nigihit time. Mr. Short has landed, however, two sons of the English champion, one of them a particularly nice sheep. The Short consignment also includes a Welsh sheep dog, a very .nice animal, with an exceptionally intelligent head. He is a crack specimen of the breed, having twice won a forty guinea trophy in a working competition, taken part in on the last occasion by 37 dogs. Mr. H. Hadfield, of Paraparaumu, also brought out a very good File ram,* purchased for 110 guineas. ' :