FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 June 1916, Page 2

FARM AND DAIRY.

COW TESTING. KAUPOKONUI ASSOCIATION. The following is a summary of ve. turns for the seasou 1915-1910, ending June 17:

The average Association cow gave 2f?3.3Clbs. fat. The highest individual yield was 707.78 lbs. fat in 343 days. The lowest individual yield was 82.80 lbs. fat in 103 days. One herd averaged over 400 lbs. fat' per cow; 22 herds averaged over 300 lbs. .fat per cow; 34 herds averaged over 200 lbs. fat per cow; four herds averaged under 200 lbs. fat per c'ow. The Kaupokonui Cow-testing Association started operations six' years ago, aiul the following figures will show what striking results have been obtained by those who continue testing every year. 1910-11 SEASON. 1915-10 SEASON. No cows. Lbs. fat. No. covin. Lbs. fat. 2fl ■ 183.00 25 305.12 88 229.06 05 348.80 .07 230.82 37' : 37-1.38 4S 219.48 . 40 201.08 51 205.22 1 03 272.44 35 217.91 35. 281.48

The average Association cow for 101011 season gave 222.02 lbs. fat per cow; the average for 1015-1G was 283.36 lbs. fat, showing an increase in six years of 01.34 lbs. fat per cow. The above figures exclude all cows milked less than 100 days and more than 303 days.

' A RECORD CROP. ' Mr. T. Rowe, Bell Block, writes:— I have just threshed what I think is a record crop of the maize called Thousand Fold matze, which lias yielded 152 bushels of shelled corn per acre. I think (his is easily a record for Taranaki, A not for New Zealand. I have grown scores of different varieties of maize during the last twenty years, and can safely say that I never before had any variety (hat came near this yield. This i.« the second crop of maize on the same ground without any manure, and only crdinarv cultivation. This variety is i!so the very best to grow for green food, yielding over SO tons of green food l';r acre, and also keeps in a green state much longer than other sorts. The first season 1 grew this wonderful maize 1 received ft two-ounce packet by poet and from this I saved 21 Oilbs of shelled corn the first year. Many of the cobs had ever a thousand grains on each and from two to four cobs on a stafk.

| AN UNCOMMON DISEASE. A disease rare to North Otago, and happily of infrequent occurrence else•vherc in the Dominion, has made its appearance amongst three North Otago herds, namely actinomycosis, commonly known as "lump-jaw" (reports the Oamiru Mail). There are 15 cases in these li»rds, bulls and cows being- the animals affected, and both have for sonic time Icon under the observation of Mr. P. W. Blair, the local stock inspector. Recently the veterinary officers from Dunedin, Gore, Invercargill, and Amberley made a visit to the farms.. The affliction is a ray fungus which attacks firstly the hone of the jaw, pausing the excrescences which give it the name of jumpy-jaw. If not cheeked, the disease spreads into other parts of thii body, being noticeable in the lungs in the form of yellow »pots. Cases have been known, comparatively rare, where the sickness has made its appearance simultaneously throughout the herd in all parts of the body. The affected beasts are being treated with the prescribed medicine, but as this is very expensive, another course would probably be followed in killing the animals, were they not valuable. This would appear to be a case where the Agricultural Department might with advantage . Undertake the cure of the beasts free of expense to the owner.

TEN HIGHEST HERD AVERAGES No. cows. Aver. days. Lbs. fat. 15 297 452.15 40 1 270 374.72 37 285 871.38 3(i 262 IS53.55 65 272 348.80 6 260 343.90 29 240 340.57 50 272 332.65 91 271 330.96 78 284 330.26 TEN LOWEST HERB AVERAGES. No. cows, Aver. days. Lbs. fat. 31 239 187.61 40 254 188.50 41 227 198.41 30 218 198.91 21 24S 200.30 7n 229 202.22 47 258 212.15 60 234 215.94 47 21!) 230.40 37 223 ' 233.47