FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 November 1921, Page 12

FARM AND DAIRY.

COW-JUDGING. STRATFORD SCHOLARS AT MR. HANFORD’S FARM. The annual cow-judging demonstration and field day in connection with the Stratford D.H.S. secondary course in agriculture and dairy science was held on Tuesday. Some HM) pupils were conveyed per motor cars, lent for the occasion, to Mr. F. Ranford’s farm, ‘•Willowbank,” on the Opunake road, Messrs. Johnson and Syme, Education Board instructors, being in charge. By 9.30 a.m. the work began. Air. Ran ford demonstrated at first to all the pupils'assembled, on his fine cow Delight of Willowbank. After pointing out very clearly that all dairy brdteds had outstanding dairy points, he proceeded to demonstrate the ways and means by which constitution, capacity, digestion, nervous force, and capacity to produce were all mirrored in the various parts of the cow. Having dealt thorr oughly with these points, he then proceeded to illustrate the breed points of the Jersey, dealing with such points as head, horns, and Jersey character. The pupils were then given an opportunity of asking questions. 9

Several animals were then taken and the pupils divided into squads, each squad being in charge of a teacher or senior pupil, and the various points were again traversed in detail; The test of knowledge was then put, when a two-year-old heifer was placed in the ring, and the pupils were called upon to score her according to the score cards as used in the A. and P. shows. When all cp-ds were finished Air. Ranford proceeded to show the pupils his reasons for scoring the same cow at 83. An examination of the cards showed that a good percentage of the pupils were not only near and with this mark, but also agreed in the reasons for arriving at their judgments. It is obvious that this training, apart from dairy science, has an excellent effect on the powers of observation and judgment. The first and second years’ pupils ’ were then dismissed, and the senior I pupils called upon to place in order of | merit three yearling heifers —Willow--1 bank Stylish, Onaero's Gerbera, and Onaero’s Veronica. So good arc these J that Air. Ranford intends showing (hem lull at the forthcoming Stratford Show The heifers were finally placed with I Stylish first, Veronica second, and GerIbera third. From the lively discussion lit was clearly evident, that these pupils I had a sound conception of what went to. (make an ideal Jersey. This terminated the morning work. In the afternoon Air. Ranford again kindly gave oi his knowledge to a class of primary pupils. Some coming -from schools on the East road from Hurimoana down to Biyd road, I were assembled at the Stratford Alodel I Farm, where Aly. J. B. Richards and ■ the manager had kindly made all ar rangements to assist both demonstrator and class. Here Mr. Ranford was called I upon to deal with grade cows from a ■dairy point of view. Several cows were : chosen, each showing some outstanding ’good or bad point. The same order o- , procedure, as. in the morning was a<]herIcd to, except t hat the work was or a I more elementary nature. i Mr. Johnson had again with him his ■ four senior pupils who were so successI ful at the shows last season. These 'pupils each look charge of a squad, and i impressed upon the children thorough j]y the points brought out. by Air. Ran i ford in the first, general demonstration, j The pupils in the test of marking I down showed they had assimilated the I most important points, although they I were perhaps a little too generous in I the allotting of marks. i At the end of the day Air. Johnson 'thanked Air. Ranford -for his kindnes,in living of his time and knowledge ;so liberally to the pupils. He empha ! sised the very great good that was bc- ' ing done by the experts co-operating in ! the educating of the pupils of their dis , trict. 1 Air. Ranford. in acknowledging Air i Johnson’s remarks, said he felt fully repaid if the pupils showed an inteir | gent interest in trying to learn the I points of a good cow. It is worthy of note that Taranaki | is the only place in .Xc-w Zealand where boys and girls are trained so thoroughly in this particular work. RECOAIAIENDATIONS FOR ERECTION OF MILKING PLANTS. The following specifications for the eroot'ion of milking machines Avere sugoes.icd bv the dairy factory managers in their interview with the Minister for Agriculture on Tuesday:— In the erection of milking plants the vacuum pump, vaciium tank, and relefuer should be -.pt out so that all pipes can be kept in a straight line between these points, and bends and ritfht angles be discarded as far as posThe roleaser and vacuum tank should be placed side by side, and the pipes .-nnurefimr them -'-hi'i'ild lie as short as

- i The Xeleaser should bo set just high ?renough io allow the milk to gravitate .■'to the factory milk cans on the stand; I j it should not be jammed against the .'wall of the shed, but should be erected I iso that it i< «asy of access and so that I j it < an be detached from the air and j releaser pipes for cleaning daily. J ---.The releaser pipes should be made of - '' the best drawn brass piping in lengths 7 not exceeding six feet and provided with - I unions so that they can be taken down ) j for cleaning, and should be supported ’ 1 with brackets every three feet to pre- ' j vent sagging: the pipe should have a ’ I fall of one inch in sixty lo the releaser I' to facilitate drainage and should be in ■' a straight line to the releaser, without ! uptake or angle turns. I The vacuum tank should be in t\vo ' parts, which can easily be detached for cleaning and airing; it should have three pipe connections —namely: One for the vacuum pipe to the milking shod, one to the releaser, and the other to the vacuum pump; these connections should be constructed to have all the pipes from the various points coming in a straight line so that a brush can be passed through into the tank. The vacuum pipe shoiiid be in a straight line, erected in lengths not exj feeding six feet, and connected with 1 unions instead of sockets, so as to be ’easily detached. This pipe should have ’a tap fitted about eighteen inches from ! the. end in order to flush it out. There should also be a plug in the end of the • pipe so that a brush can be drawn through into the vacuum tank to en- ' sure the pipe being kept clean. This i pipe should have a fall of one in sixty !' fo the vacuum tank to ensure good drainage, The pipe leading from the vacuum tank to the ptunp should also be erected in six foot lengths with unions so as to naailv detached. It should be brought

in a straight line and taken at right angles with a cross down to be connected to the pump, a brush can then be passed through as the plugs in the cross can be removed. The pipe connecting the releaser to the vacuum tank should in all cases be of drawn piping so as to admit of easy cleaning, and it is essential that there should be no bends; a number of ma•chines have too many bends in this pipe which are a source of trouble to the milk supply as they cannot be properly cleaned. The foregoing points will not cost the farmer any more owing to the fact that if the releaser, vacuum tank and pump are set out properly the saving in other fittings and the extra piping that is sometimes used will compensate for the unions recommended. The air system in milking machines, requires as much attention as the releaser pipe and other parts, and this part of the machine is sadly neglected in erection from a sanitary standpoint. The releaser in # many cases can be improved upon as too many bends are used to connect with the air system The releaser pipes in some cases are not erected with enough fall and are not supported by the proper number of brackets, allowing the pipes to sag with , the result that the wash water does not drain out properly.

The vacuum tank with the three connections allows of no dead ends to enable a brush being put through to the tank in each case. Some releasers are connected to the vacuum line and as there is no provision for cleaning this pipe owing to the fact that the line is in one length to the pump with a tee connecting the vacuum tank a brush cannot be put through to clean it. The machine erected with straight air pipes has the best air system from a sanitary standpoint. To have an ideal air system the piping should be of the same material as the releaser pipe. MAORI INDUSTRY AND ENTERPRISE. Writes our Pungarehu correspondent: A very marked improvement is noticeable on many farms belonging to the A'laoris, particularly Te Whiti and Wi Kupi’s holdings, where, hard work and long hours are being put in by the owners. On Te Whiti s farm it is pleasing to note that a large area which was formerly covered with gorse, has been cleared up and ploughed. The road boundary has been cleared, and the Alaori farmers are Evidently out to make good wth their land. Wi Kupe has for several weeks past been engaged in blasting stones from hi- property in the village, while a paddock on the Pungarehu Road purchased by 'him, last year, which was in a very rough state, lias been drained, ploughed and cultivated, and is certainly a sure sign that some of the Ala.oris* are not less ener- : getic than their pakeha neighbors.