FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 January 1920, Page 2

FARM AND DAIRY.

MILKING POINTERS. j Cows should be gently treated at all times, and never abused or roughlyspoken to. They should be groomed before milking if very dirty. This should be done in an open yard or a different shed io the one in which milking operations are to be carried out. The udders, if soiled, should be rubbed with a damp cloth to remove the dirt, and this cloth should be renewed daily. A little care given to keeping the cows and the cowhouse clean amply repays one in the better appearance and health of the animals, and larger quantity and better quality of milk obtained- The cows should always be approached carefully, cautiously, and on the right side. The actual milking operations should ,be j swiftly but quietly and gently carried out. The milk from the two fore teats should be drawn first, as much milk as possible being taken from these, and the two hind ones milked last. The actual stripping should then be proceeded with; this must be completely and efficiently done. The strappings are.the richest part of the milk, the first-drawn milk being quite poor in quality and often containing not more than 1 per cent, of fat, whereas that last drawn may contain 10 per cent, or even more. This being the case, one can easily discern the great importance of thoroughly stripping a cow, as otherwise the milk may be appreciably below the Government standard. Improper stripping has a drying effect upon the animals. The milking operation over, the milker should speak kindly to the cow, patting her as she rises. The milk should be j removed from the cowhouse to the dairy as soon as each cow is milked, thus ! ensuring that it will be obtained in a inrach cleaner condition than would otherwise be the ease. The milking bperation should~be carried out with dry hands for preference, this being the cleanest and undoubtedly the most'hyr gienic method. Wet milking is the most natural and easy, but the least hygienic, producing chapped teats and encouraging filthy practices amongst the milkers. One who treats his cows gently, eoaxingly, and milks them at regular intervals undoubtedly gets more milk from the animals than anyone else possessing those good points can ever do.

BLIND TEATS. A cow may have a blind teat, yet the affection may be of such a nature that upon being opened the quarter will resume its natural functions. Where a valuable animal is so affected it is always wise to get an expert to operate, because if this operation be not skilfully performed intense inflammation may be set up, and the teat again become blind. Sometimes, however, the obstruction may be of a mechanical nature, and this is easily put right by the careful use of a teat siphon, which can be secured from any chemist. In using this, force muat be avoided as much as possible. Lubricate the instrument with vaseline or other such preparation; then, after making sure of the opening of the teat, gently twirl the siphon between the forefinger and thumb (but do not turn it round and round), at the same time using the pressure to remove the obstruction. Where the obstruction is of a structural nature a special instrument is required. There are several makes of instruments for dilating the teat or cutting through obstruction, and these can usually be supplied by chemists, who will explain how they should be used.

NOTES. The NX Dairyman is informed by a correspondent that a settler at Mangaonoho, who sheared his sheep the fi week in December, found no less than seventy dead the next morning. The severity of the weather this season has been most unusual.

i A romance of modern dairy farming is ■the astonishing development of the 2000gallon cow—a cow giving 2000 gallons (20,0001b) or more milk in the year—on which breeders of the black and white British Friesians are now engaged. This is the breed which heads the tables for milk production, and recently has been making records in the sale ring on that account. When Eske Hetty, the first of all 2000-galloners, gave 2413 gallons last year, critics considered the performance a freak. Only a few years previously the 1000-gallon cow was similarly regarded. Now Eske Hetty has a rival Friesian, Southill Countess, belonging to Messrs. Wallace, of Knebworth, whose yield has reached 2100 gallons in 320 days, while six more of the breed, with different owners, are on the way to top the 2000 before the year has run. Southjll Countess ha 9 nearly reached a record of 10 gallons (or 1001b) of milk in 24 hours. Friesian enthusiasts are talking already of the possibility of the 3000gallon cow.

One of the largest dairymen of the] Matamata district predicts that next season the prices for real good daily cows will be in the vicinity of £SO the Matamata Record). Owing to the bad season experienced, the milkrrwn of Masterton intend increasing the price of milk on January 1. It is said that the Waikato record of a Jersey cow -which gave a 6.8 test with a yield of four gallons of milk daily, has been beaten by a Southern Jersey, which gave a teat of 6.8 and has given an average day yield of 4J gallons of milk per day. A shearing tally, said to be a record for Marlborough, was accomplished at a sheep station in the Awatere district. In the ordinary eight-hour day Mr. ~R. Register, using the machine, put through 206 sheep, comprising long-wools with good fleeces. The record (said to be for the world) so far is held by John Hoppy, who shore 373 in a day of nine hours on Mr. Pharazyn's station. On the same day three other shearers at the same station put through 311, 309, and 303 respectively.

The sensational advance in the price of rabbit-skins at the London fur sales recently recorded still continues, and the rise has ranged from 50 per cent, to 100 per cent, at a jump. Furs for making hats jumped from 18s to 31s per pound, and very little can be obtained at tha* price. A prominent hatter's furrier states tliat he spent the most harassing and disastrous week of his career at the recent London sales. New Zealand skins, which were at one time 7d per pound, and at the last sales 200 d, were quoted at 300 d, or 50s per dozen skins. It is said that some New Zealand catchers and exporters have made thousands of pounds during the last year.