EXPERIMENTAL FARMS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9528, 28 June 1909, Page 5

EXPERIMENTAL FARMS.

The Minister of Agriculture (Hon, T. Mackenzie) is devoting considerable attention to the practical side of the work of the experimental farms," and he intends -to obtain the best strains of jiairy cows that can possibly'berprocured, in_order to establish a purebred herd, "so that," to use Ms own words, "we may be able in the course of time to do something towards assisting farmers with a reliable milking strain." Apropos, the Minister, speaking to a "Post" representative, mentioned the fact that during the last short session of Parliament a member had stated that the cows at the Werarba Experimental Farm had only shown a profit of £3 14s 6d for the year. "I had the average taken out when I was at Weraroa recently," said the Minister, "and the average per cow was £l2 18s 3d. The average yield per cow was 7,0001b of milk per annum, and : the butter fat yield was 2901b per cow." In a recent test in Denmark, oi 42,116 the average was 6,7421b of milk and 2881b of butter fatl "Of course," he remarked, "the Danish test was based on a much greater number of cows than we took at Weraroa. I merely give these figures to show that the farm is progressing, and that we are hopeful of bringing up the standard of the herd v to such an extent that it will be of material assistance to dairy farmers.;