SWEDES FOR MILKING COWS.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 301, 14 June 1898, Page 2

SWEDES FOR MILKING COWS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I was pleased to see the above subject introduced at the meeting of the Farmers' Club, as it is one of great importance to the farming community; there is, however, no need for the course alluded to by Capt. Runciman, as milking cows may be fed with either tops or roots, if done in the way that I followed for some years past, viz., to give them to the cows immediately after milking. I give my cows about 251 bof cut rcots after their evening milking, and neither the milk nor the butter made from it is flavoured in the slightest degree. I explained my method to a practical farmer some years ago, and he pooh-poohed the idea, and said it was impossible, but I am not the only one in the district that has tried and proved the success of the plan, and I venture to affirm that it is quite possible. While on this subject, I should like to make a few remarks re the subject of potatoes, mentioned in your report of the Root Show. A suggestion is made to change the name of one of our popular varieties, the " Late Rose ;" this variety was raised in the United States about 25 years ago, and was so named to distinguish it from the Early Rose, raised a year or two previous, and that, although there is only a few weeks difference in the time of ripening of the two varieties, there is a great difference in the quality and productiveness of them, the late variety being far the heaviest cropper, it being, perhaps, the heaviest cropping variety that we have. The nomenclatnre of many of the potatoes grown in the neighbourhood is in a great muddle already, and to change the name of a variety well-known to commerce, and alter it to make it appear a local variety would, I think, be increasing the confusion which already exists.—l am, &c , E. Wuitk.