COW TESTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 March 1921, Page 6

COW TESTS.

THE 300-DAY PROPOSAL. SUGGESTION TO THE MINISTER. A deputation representing the Manawatu sub-provincial branch of the Farmers’ Union interviewed the Minister of Agriculture on Monday, ajid made suggestions for the institution of a 300-day cow test. The Director of Agriculture (Dr. Reakes) and the head of the Dairy Division (Mr. Singleton) were present. Mr. W. H. Field, M. P., who introduced the deputation, said that the deputation was asking for the instituiion of another eommerciaiclass of certificated cow. The 365-day test was not suitable for the purposes of the dairy farmer. It involved interference with the regular annual calving, and gave a test that did not conform to ordinary farm methods. Members of the deputation contended that the present 365-day test suited the breeders as against the dairy farmers It was a matter of importance to tb.e farmers that their cows should calve regularly, and the 300-day test permitted this to be arranged. Another point was that the 365-day test was made with cows that were not in calf at any stage of the test, and this meant that the results did not bear upon ordinary farm practice. The dairy farmers wanted to get stock that would give the best possible results under actual working conditions. and this end was not being attained by a test that suited the professional breeder, not the farmer. In the course of some discussion, Mr. Singleton said that the Department would have no special objection to the request being granted, providing that it went through the breeders’ associations, and was approved by those bodies. The Department was co-operating with die breeders’ associations, and pould hardly go behind them. The members of the deputation said they were aware that the breeders were opposed to the proposal, which was being put forward on behalf of the farmers. The - breeders’ associations were full of men who were independent of the dairy industry as far as the actual production of butter-fat was concerned. The Minister undertook to go into the matter, and let the memh£K z of the deputation know what action, if any, he could take in the direction they were .suggesting.