FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 253, 24 March 1914, Page 7

FARM AND DAIRY.

NOTES.

HERD TESTING. Stratford's best cow registered, for the four weekly period ending the 19th: Milk 7351b5, test 7.1, fat 52.181b5; worst cow, 120, 4.7, 5.G4; best herd, 830 4.3, 30.07; worst herd, 484, 4.0, 19.30. Midhirst Association.—The best cow m the Midhirst Association registered: Milk 4951b5, test 5.4, fat fll.o3lbs; worst cow 195, 5.5, 10.72; best herd 723, 4,3, 35.01; worst herd 500, 4.5, 22.82. SIBERIAN DAIRY PRODUCE.

Russian eggs and Siberian butter have become most important factors in the progress of Anglo-Russian relations. A London provision salesman recently stated that if the supply of these Russian products were suddenly cut off from the English market there would be i>n egg and butter famine in the British Isles. The extent to which the Siberian butter trade has consequently developed in a comparatively short time is strikingly illustrated by a report received from Barnaul, in the province of Tomsk. In that town there has just been held the first Co-operative Congress of delegates from the union of dairy farming "artels" or associations of Western Siberia. The event shows the rapid advance and success of the co-operative principle in Siberia, as well as the swift growth of the butter industry. The chairman of the congress, in his closing speech, said:—"The union of West Siberian butter farming artels at the present time is the pride, not only of Russia, but also of Western Europe." The Novoe Vremya, cites these words as unique, and a praiseworthy example for Russia, and as not in the least exaggerating the real facts of the case, The union has been in existence only six years, and its turnover, which in 1912 was 7,000,000 roubles, was more than doubled last year (1913) to 14,500,000 roubles. It embraces 5G3 different ibutter-making associations, with 502 depots. The net profits of the union amount to 120,000 roubles. The movement is being extended to co-operative flourmills, granaries, and cheese-making, especially the latter industry. It is interesting to note that the first experiment of producing Siberian "Cheddar" cheese for the English market was made in 1912, but the' result was not brilliant. The cheese turned out rather corase, and not like the genuine article. The union promptly sent an expert to England to study cheese-making processes on the spot, and last year the result was so far satisfactory that about sixty-five tons of Siberian Cheddar cheese were sent to England, where it was considered mucli better than Canadian Cheddar.

The manure from sheep lias a higher fertilising value than that derived from any other animal. Next in strength come the excrementitious substance from pigs and horses. Cattle manure is less concentrated, but as regards quantity produced cattle come first, then horses, while pigs and sheep naturally produce less per animal. The fertilise ing value of a manure, however, does not altocretner depend on the animal producing it, as the character of the food consumed influences in a great measure the quality of the manure, and even the manure from the same animal may vary daily in quantity and quality. Breeding from animals whose parents' age is unknown is at the best only guesswork. A cow may be a heavy milker, yet her heifer calves may altogether fail to possess the same' desirable quality. As a rule, however, it will be found that good milking cows produce equally good milking heifers, provided thev have been bred to a suit able bull. There is practically no pasture in Java, so Mr. J. JL 0. Stuart, representative of the Samarang Colonial Exhibition, told a Wellington Post reporter. "What few cattle we have," lie continued, "are mostly fed by hand. An interesting experiment is now being made in sheep farming, and to this New Zealand has contributed to some degree. A resident was of opinion that he had discovered land suitable for the rearing of sheep, and, by way of a trial, purchased a hundred or so sheep in the Wanganui district. They were safely delivered, and their progress in their adopted country is being closely watched."