HERD TESTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 June 1939, Page 7

HERD TESTING

OPERATIONS OF WAIRARAPA ASSOCIATION AVERAGES & OTHER DETAILS FOR PAST SEASON. REVIEW BY THE SECRETARY. In his review of the operations of the Wairarapa Herd Testing Association for the past yea.'-, the secretary. Mr A. 11. Humphrey, slates: "The sixteenth season of the Wairarapa fieri! Testing Association. Inc, ended oil May 31. 1939. The past season has been one of the most erratic, climatically, experienced for years. and consequently butterfat production shows a decline and stands at a low level, but under the circumstances the cows have responded remarkably well. Several herds were withdrawn from test before completing the whole season, this, mostly, io allow th-.- cows to be dried off early and give them greater opportunity to build up for the next dairying season. "Crops received a serious set-back, which, owing to the absence of rain, were, in most cases, failures. For an exceptionally long period, the pastures were depleted of all grass and farmers resorted to feeding hay early in (lie summc-r. The dairy farmer who tested his cows this past season benefitted greatly, in that-, before production began to drop very considerably, he was enabled to sort out the ‘duds’ and cull them from the herd early, thus easing the cost of feed of the herd and later the extra cost of wintering nonproducers. It is pleasing to note that most dairymen, realising the backward pastoral conditions prevailing, prepared ground in good time for early crops in the spring. Ammoniated super has also been extensively used this autumn, the. pasture thus treated showing an appreciable growth before the w.inter. (Continued on page 3.)