FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 181, 18 December 1912, Page 8

FARM AND DAIRY.

DAIRY BREEDS. THE PERFORMANCE AVERAGES. Dairymen will find a good deal to interest them in a summary to hand by the latest 'Frisco mail of the latest Canadian record of perforance tests, In the record of performance tests are made under Government supervision of all the leading dairy breeds. The following is a table showing the yearly production in pounds of butter-fat of all of the cows in each breed so far tested in record of performance: Five Years and Over. 11)3 Averaged. Butter-fat. Ayrshire >67 31)0.889 ITolskein 74 438.(536 French Can 8 339.023 Guernsey 1 430.74 Jersey ' 3 0J5.0«> Four Years Old. Lbs Avscaged. Butter-fat. Ayrshire 23 863.346 Holstein 23 429.595 French Can 1 357.48 Guernsey 1 495.74 Jersey '. 2 437.905 Tnree Years Old.

lbs Averaged. Butter-fat Ayrshire 41 345.67 Holstein 42 353.555 French Can 1 308.79 Guernsey 1 334.9 Jersey 1 459.33 Two Years Old. lbs Averaged. Butter-fat Ayrshire 82 294.364 Holstein 84 358.590 French Can 7 250.894 Guernsey 4 370.807 Jersey 7 381.628 "THERE IS GOOD IN ALL BREEDS."

Commenting on the report, Farm and Dairy considers it is most convincing testimony of the fact that there is good in all breeds, and that success in dairying is more a matter of getting the best strain of the breed you like than in impartially choosing any breed as being the most profitable. A study of the above table will show that in all cases the Holsteins have averaged somewhat higher in fat production than have the Ayrshires. A more complete study of the report, however, shows a wide variation in the producing abilities of the animals in both breeds, there being very high producers in both breeds, and that there have also been many Ayrshires and Holsteins tested that just produced enough to qualify for Record of Performance, and many in both breeds that did not qualify at all. Ayrshire fanciers claim, with some show of justice, that their cattle being smaller eat less, and are therefore just as profitable as is the higher producing Holstein. This claim, which seems reasonable, will be put to test when the system of feed records that is now being conducted in connection with the Record of Performance test is got on a better basis.

CHANNEL ISLAND BREEDS LEAD. A noteworthy feature of the tests is that, in no class are either Ayrshires or Holsteins on top in the average of all animals tested. For instance, in the class for cows- five years old and over the Jerseys averaged 515.091b of butterfat, the Guernseys 430.74, and the Holsteins were between the two with 438.63 lb of butter-fat. In the four-year-old class the Guernseys are on top," and in the class for three and two-year-olds the Jerseys again have the highest average production. Many dairymen have been inclined to regard the jersey and Guernsey as the rich man's cow and not at all suitable for the commercial dairyman, and not in the same class with either Holsteins or Ayrshires. Record of Performance results show that nere also is a strain that counts, and not breed. Of course, the smaller number of Jerseys and Guernseys tested make the results less authoritative and less indicative of the general producing ability of the breed than are the Ayrshire anil Holstein results.

If the average milk production of the different breeds were determined it would be found that the Holsteins are far in the lead; but their test was the lowest of any breed. Of the 74 aged cows tested, their average was only £34 per cent, butter-fat, as compared with 3.96 for Ayrshires, 4.82 for Guernseys, 4 45 for French-Canadians, and 5.24 for the Jerseys. Only three of all the Holsteins tested to date have averaged over 4 per cent, fat for the whole lactation period. Several animals qualifying have tested below 3 per cent., and one animal hail a test of only 2.77 per cent. Here, again, however, strain is more important than breed, as Holsteins are recorded testing 4.45 per cent, and Ayrshires as low as 3.20 per cent. Guernseys in all classes varied from 4.82 to 0.13, and the Jeiseys from 4.14 to 5.75 per cent, oi fat.

Until feed records are published along with milk and fat records, the question as to which breed contains the most economical producers must remain in abeyance. Really, it will never be settled, as there will always be profitable and unprofitable cows in all breeds. The biggest lesson of the Record of Performance is that strain, not breed, should receive first consideration.

RECORD COW. "MODEL MAID'S" B'/. GALLONS IN A DAY. At the British dairy farmers' annual display of milking cattle at the Royal Agricultural Hall, Islington, London,'re-1 cently, a crowd of farmers watched the j actions of a new milking machine of Swedish origin. T his device was strapped on to the cow, and, driven by machinery, drew tl/e milk into a metal receptacle apparently with the greatest ease and with satisfaction to the cow. the latter was milked in about six min-' utes, and it is claimed for this machine] that by means of it (employing one to | every ten cows) a herd of fifty head I can be milked in under one hour, one' man only being required to attend the cowa. Some extraordinary milk yields, one at least constituting a record for the dairy show, were obtained from Shorthorn cows. An astonishing weight of SO.lilb oi milk, or 8 1 /. gallons, was the total 01 the morning and evening milking of Model Maid, a massive red and white cow, seven years old, bred and exhibited

l)y Sir. .Tames Sheppv. of l'edlvnch IVrk, Chewton Keviisliam. IJrisol. Her owner rii.iled that Aiodcl Maid w.is always :i heavy juill:cr. "jSiie gives it of lier own free will," he said, "without any forcing whatever. Her rations art* the ordinary feed —hay, oats, bran, etc., will) a bit of cake."

The aggregate weight of Model Maid's milk for two days was 171.81b, or just over l'/;cwl. of milk.