IMPROVING DAIRY HERDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 June 1922, Page 8

IMPROVING DAIRY HERDS.

THE NEED FOR TESTING. Importance of butter-fat RECORDS, (From Our Special Reporter.) Palmerston N., Last Night.

The recent increase in the fees charged for semi-official testing formed the subject of considerable discussion at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Pedigree Friesian Association, which was held in Palmerston North on Wednesday night. The subject was introduced by a number of letters which were received from various associations and members protesting against the increase and making various suggestions. Mr. Singleton (director f the dairy division) said that the past season had not been a pleasant one to supervise the testing of semi-official cows, because owing to abnormal financial conditions they had to increase the fees. In 1921 the fees had been increased from 3 guineas to 5 guineas with the idea of reducing the department’s loss, but it had had the effect of reducing the number of cows put .under test. These charges had been reviewed later and made £lO 10s for the first cow and £3 3s for each subsequent cow. He would like to be able to do the testing for nothing, but that was impossible. It was, however, hoped that by making the fee higher for the first cow they would. be able to reduce the number testing one cow, and by inducing them to test more would reduce tne average cost. . He understood the department would institute a 305 days" test if sufficient breeders asked for it. In reply to a question, Mr. Singleton said that if two breeders had their testing done on the one farm there would be only one £lO 10s to be paid. There would be difficulties in the way of testing on two farms in the one day and treating them as one farm in the way of fees.

The secretary recognised that Mr. Singleton was doing his best, but the department; he considered, was adopting the wrong attitude in raising the fees and discouraging testing. They should rather have decreased the fee, and so have induced every owner of pedigree stock to go in for semi-official testing. This would tend to increase production. It was largely to dairying that the country was looking at present. He thought they should make strong representations to the Government on the subject. A member suggested that the fee should be made uniform, as the present system penalised the small man. Mr. Lovelock dsked if it would be any advantage to the department if the association guaranteed a certain number of cows. Mr. Singleton questioned if it Would, because the difficulty last spring was to get sufficient testing officials. A member suggested that it might be possible to save expense in outlying • districts by appointing local factory • managers to do the testing. | Mr. Singleton said that it was preI ferable to have the work done by officials over whom the department had j direct control, THE HERD SIRE. Mr. S. Bowman (Waitaki) strongly urged the necessity for dairy farmers having a purebred bull at the head of their herds. He was a manufacturer that did business with 2000 farmers, and the growler was generally the man with the poor herd. His company purchased pedigree bulls and sold them to farmers on the hire purchase system, and he suggested that a committee should be set up to interview dairy factory directors throughout the Dominion. with a view to assisting suppliers to procure pedigree bulls of any breed they desired. A member stated that the New Zealand Dairy Association intended to work on similar lines. , The secretary stated that he naa urged years ago that the Government should compel every farmer to use pure- . bred bulls and to assist farmers m financing them. If the dairy factories J .! would take the matter up it would go a long way in this direction. Mr. Hodson stated that it was first J necessary to convince farmers of the ' value of’ looking for butter-fat, first by herd testing, and then later he would ~ go in for semi-official testing'. 1 Mr Lovelock .said that it should be ! j made’ law that the robber cow should ’ have the broad arrow put on her, ana ‘ then by eliminating the robber cow and utilising bulls with proved butter-fat records behind them, they . w o uld T J u^ k ‘ ly increase the average yield. If this 1 could be increased from IfiOlbs.t o 200 lbs. they could afford to spend £1,000,J 000 per' year.