MILK RECORD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 January 1940, Page 3

MILK RECORD

WORLD’S FIRST 5000 GALLON COW.

A recent paragraph recorded that a dairy Shorthorn cow. Cherry, owned by Messrs Wort and Way, Wiltshire, England, had established a world's milk record for the year of 4164 gallons. She carried on for another 199 days, or 563 days in all. and the Jactation finished up with 50,037. : ;1b. or slightly more than 5000 gallons. This meant a daily average of slightly more than 8-; gallons. She is due to calve again the first week of February. At the time that her 365 days in milk were completed. Cherry was giving round about 101 gallons a day on four milkings. Immediately the record had been achieved, Mr Alex McKie, the farm manager, put her down to three milkings at irregular hours in order to “'work her down." The ration was reduced from 28 to about 101 b a day, and the cow was, of course, out to grass, and lying out day and night. For some time the reduction in yield came very slowly; first it dropped to seven gallons. and at length to five, and then, in June, her milkings were dropped to twice daily. Eventually the daily yield dropped to two gallons, and at that she was put back to one milking. Then she reckoned it was time to go dry. which she did at the end of October.

In view of responsible opinions expressed that after such a remarkable performance it would not be possible to get the cow in calf again, it is interesting to note that Cherry did not return to the bull.

The extraordinary performance and the publicity attached to it have naturally attracted world-wide attention. Mr Wort has received more than 1000 letters. Hundreds of visitors of all nationalities have been and still are calling at the farm to have a ‘’close up" of Cherry.

The greatest interest appears to have been aroused among farmers in the United States, Canada, the South American Republics, Australia, and New Zealand. Letters have come from Tasmania. Holland, France. Italy. South Africa, San Francisco, Denmark. Nebraska, Mississippi. Texas, Ontario,New York, lowa. Wisconsin, Buenos Aires. Illinois, and scores of other places far removed from the Wiltshire farm.