FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 December 1922, Page 8

FARM AND DAIRY.

TIESTING OF COWS. AN INTERESTING SCHEME. Our Urenui correspondent writes: The matter of forming a herd-testing association has at various times been mooted in this district, but whilst many farmers recognise the advantage of having their cows subjected to periodical and reliable tests there has been up to the present no unanimous expression of approval as to the formation of an association for this object. It has been argued that any individual dairyman wishing to test his herd may do so by purchasing a four-cow tester and doing the work himself, as the reading of the tests- is not a very difficult matter. This may be so, but very often many farmers are too busy, and unable to devote the time necessary for this purpose. Others again take samples once or twice during the season and requi. c 't*on the service of the factory manager to read the tests, but this plan is far from satisfactory, as- cows should -be at least tested once a month to enable their owners to form a true estimate of their value.

According to the Auckland Weekly News, a scheme is now in operation in Central Waikato, which seems to give most satisfactory results-, and might be worthy of consideration in this locality. It would appear that the cofit of purchasing equipment and operating the scheme on the basis of 1200 cows in a group would work out at 6/- per cow. The cost of equipment was a non-recur-ring expense, and after the first year the cost of running would not be so great. The value of the scheme, a point which every farmer will recognise, is- that an independent man takes the samples. A horse, trap, detector, tester and sulphuric acid has to be bought, and the men who do the work have to be paid, £ll6 per annum being the salary paid at present. It has been found that a herd of 94 cows could be tested in two and a-half hours, there being no loss of time and no delay during milking. The. success of the scheme depends largely on the choice of the testing officials. Branding was necessary, and a special preparation was used which did not injure the hide as a fire-brand would. Neck brands and tattoo marks in the ear were also used. Two samples were taken per period, and nine s-ets of samples were taken in the season. Most of the clerical work was done at the organiser’s office in Hamilton, and two girls and a mechanical calculator were employed. The cost of the clerical work was 2d per cow. The skim milk was- tested and information given to farmers regarding the efficiency of their separators, The skim milk varied from .03 to .35, and farmers were shown exactly how much money they were losing through defective skimming. One man, wnose skim milk tested ,19, was losing 16/- per week. The men were put up at the various farms as they went round, and it is helived the scheme would eventually replace the semi-official testing system, and there was a prospect of the scheme being subsidised by the Government oq this account. Further there Is a possibility of the testers being appointed Government' dairy inspectors, and • as such their wages would be ! Increased for their service. At

the end of the season the subscribers to the system were given certificates for every cow tested, and conditions such as water, shelter and feed were noted on the certificate. The brand denoted that the cow had been tested, and when a branded cow was offered for sale, the brand called for a certificate, which would be of great value to a prospective buyer in assessing the value of a cow.