INCREASING PRODUCTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 August 1920, Page 8

INCREASING PRODUCTION.

INTERESTING ADDRESS BY MR. MURDOCH. The urgent necessity that exists for the adoption of improved methods in order to increase production was stressed by Mr. J. B. Murdoch, chairman of the Joii Dairy Company, and one of the leading authorities in dairying matters in the Dominion, at the annual meeting of the Joll Company on Wednesday. In the course of his address he said tlio butter-fat supply from the Individual stock was not increasing. He had gone Into the figures, and found that some were supplying, as low as 1521bs of butter-fat per year. From, the report submitted by Mr. Kent, the third' tester, they would see that the highest herd yielded 3441b5. per cow, and they would readily see the tremendous difference between 1521bs and 3441b5. One was almost 2Vi times as great as the other, and it just took the same land to carry the cow-producing 1521bs as it did the cow producing 3441b5. They might ask, where would they get the stock? He thought the timo had come when there should be recognised herds where a dairyman could go to purchase stock. He did not say that he would not occasionally get hold of a "duffer" in this way, but there» was more assurance that he would obtain good stock than by picking it up at sales promiscuously. If they could increase the average up to 3001bs per annum they would make their own position much better, and would improve the position of the company by making the manufacturing costs much cheaper. Tt was no use passing the matter by and saying that they were getting along all right. had got to do something to meet the requirements of the country, and greater production would go a long m Moreover, he added, dairying was a more Arduous task, and iipprofed methods would make it possible for them to get in a position to get out of It sooner.

The report submitted by Mr. Kent was then read, showing that there was a big increase in the number of cows tested, and also a higher average production of butlerfat per bead of 2500 cows tested, the average per cow under test for 240 days and over was 276.90!b5. Herds which did not test for full season, for periods up .to 210 days, averaged 199.321b5, for those testing up to 180 days, 177 861bs. With far more cows under test this is a. satisfactory'increase in production. Mr. W. A. Guy's herd of 60 cows, with an average of 344.81bs of butter-fat) headed the list, followed closely by Mr. H. Sharp's herd of 37 cows with 3411 lis) and Mr. W. jfollia' 39 cows with 33! i Olbs. Several other herds averaged .Wilis of fat per cow. The low producing herds barely exceeded 200 lbs of fat per cow. Tast erper'cnce liad short'n that it was only a nu-ller of one or two seasons for the lower pre.Hieing herds to reach the level of the Association average, 270 pounds of fat. That is with plenty of feed and systematic culling of the robher cows. For the ensuing season a largo number of cows would be under test, and it was hoped that still more suppliers would recognise the necessity of knowing the individual cow. production. Inspection of sheds and •r.ilking machines on farms supplying the company bad been ckrricd'nn whenever opportunity offered. A general improvement was noticeable among those who rormeriy, through inattention, supplied unsound milk, '

The chairman said that the report was very, instructive. It was patent that Mr. Kent was a real good man, and had done good work not only in connection with the te3tln£, but also in connection with the inspection of sheds and in assisting shareholders wherever possible.

When In Cnlifnr.'ih he noticed that., tJTough iho cllmnle was fairly good, dairy herds were practically all band fed nil the' year round, the pastures being cut and taken to the cmvs. Ahl'"ii; ; li the country was not nearlv as good S* what they had in Tarnnaki, yet 300 mile,* nnrlh of Snn Francisco they carried over one beast to Die acre. Ihe dairy stock being all hand fed, and only allowed out occasionally In a yard or corral near by. They were in real good condition, having nothing to do but eat, drink, and lny down Testinv was'freely practiced, and In one shed that lie visited the records were shown above each cow's stall, and the lowest vield was 3GI pounds of butler-fat and the' highest 710 pounds In a herd of 30 rows.

They were faced here this season by very severe weather, and ho had never seen the pastures so bare as they were at present. He was told that people were having trouble, with their early calves, and that a big percentage. lie had been unable to ascertain how many, had died. He considered that if every dairy farmer' had a sm',ll place, ccntaining only half a dozen stalls. In which to place his weal; animals, It would pay him well. The matter was worth considering, because If it was good enmijh for those people In California to do it, It was grail enough 'here. In Holland, he found that they did just the opposite. The cows were pastured on the land and were milked on the pasture, bemg never disturbed off vlie pasture, except to be occasionally moved to another pasture nolstein is the principal breed, and he had seen herds where .he butter fat tost, tvas very low Mieing only 2.0, hut tho supply of mllit was something enormous, and undoubtedly imade tho yield of butter-fat very high. Considering the Quality of our land, and Its equitable climate, New Zealand had nothing tn fear in .regard to tho dairy Industry and its future prospects. New Zealand, ho said, was behind America, Denmark and Holland in the matter of experimental plants. In North America and Holland there were properly equipped laboratories where experimental work could be carried out. It had paid handsoftiely, and would pay handsomely here. New Zealand factory managers had gradually worked themselves up until they attained the position, but so far had worked by rule of thumb method, having had nothing to benefit themselves but their own brains, and he contended that If these men who stood out on their own and had done splendid work, showing, remarkable adaptability, hart had necessary facilities they would have done more than thev had at present. For Instance, the balance sheet showed that the yield was 2.0341b5. They did not l;now why It should not be a further 05 or even Q4 more, and what a tremendous differenco that would make. It would certainly, he said, pay well to have a proporl.v equipped laboratory established In South Taranakl or In various parts of New Zealand.