WAIKATO FORMERS' CLUB.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2931, 28 April 1891, Page 2

WAIKATO FORMERS' CLUB.

t:ik DA IKY fir.Y. Tin-: following is the rcmiiuitig portion of the discussion on Mr Reynold's paper en ''Tin: Dairy Cow," which was held at Camt.ridge on Mim.l-iy c.e'.ii ;u;, and which we w ,; re compell- d f'l hold over from :i previous issue. We r>'->«iu> Kt- discussion at tl>- point where (J,;)'. Rnneiinau, who was Lin: chief crilieiser, ceased spe.ikieg, Tl'e chairman stated tlvv lee' another ijentleman pre.-ent by «p r -ceil invil ition, and lie' woul'l now ask .Mr .Mm Robertson to cive llis views on the sal j■ '. Mr Itelr'i-t.-'on s-iM Mr Irel really left him notliiuj to -'.v. for his views Oil the ie'eeding of il'l'V f'"'WS were identical with tlio-e le-'iil by Mr !*iiiicilllall — viz., tli.it a nn'x'nre of the Hereford and Shorthorn breeds was the best fur the pir po--e. Mr Forrest !!*!:« I Mr Hnii'.-.iniai) what he consider, li v.a.-; the di'h ien.'e in the value of cows before and after the milkinc see-on. Mr Knnniai'in replied he never disposed of his millfinir cows as he had stated ; but th'-y must all admit that a cow that was just about calving was more valuable at that tone than four months previous to it —In answer to a question by Mr Anderson, Mr Runciinaii stated the amounts lie had qnoted were obtained purely from the milk supply, and did no!, include returns from calves, skim milk, Ac., which he estimated at (.'2 jier cow. The chairman thought when Mr Runciman referred to the use of pure-bred bulls, he must mean pure-bred bulls of a well-known dairying strain, as the majority of pure Shorthorns and Jlerefords would be liable to give beef-producing qualities instead of dairying. Mr John Fisher did not agree with the chairman. lie had kept a dairy for many years, and until this year he had never kept a bull but had hired one from one or other of his neighbours, and by exercising some slight selection he got good dairy eows. He had used various breeds of bulls, and was once urged to try a Polled Angus one, hut that he declined. Last season he had purchased a bull of Mr Rune.iman's breed, and it answered his purpose. The chairman thought that Mr Fisher must have, perhaps inadvertently, dropped upon bulls of a good dairying strain.

Mr Fisher did not believe in the Jersey breed, and upheld the Shorthorns and Hereford*. The cow that gave, rich milk was not the one for the farmer at the present time, whatever it might, be in the future. Supposins one cow to give two gallons of rich milk and another two and a-half gallons of milk of the ordinary quality, he should go for the obs that gave the two and a-half gallons, as the extra per eeutage allowed upon the tr\vo gallons of rich milk would not give as good a return as the two and a half gallons of ordinary quality. Mr Wells said the debate had so far been one-sided, and asked if those who were condemning the Jersey cattle were speaking from experience. He knew those who had spoken were well acquainted with the qualities of Shorthorns and Herefords, but hnd they tried Jersey.-: '! If ho, they had neglected to mention the fact. Sli Uuneiman pleaded ignorance regarding Jersey cattle as he had never owned one, and what was more, never intended to; but his neichbour, Mr Dodd, had tried both Jerseys and Ayreshires, and he had given up dairying, and expressed the intention that it he over went into the business again lie should go in for a breed similar to the one he (the speaker) possessed. Mr Kuncimau further stated that another of his neighbours, Mr Henry Reynolds, of Newstead, had a few years ago one of the linest herds in Waikato : a herd that it was a pleasure to look at. Hut now, when lie looked over his neighbour's fence, he saw a herd of flat ribbed, tawny muzzled, black nosed animals of a variety of colours, and, in his opinion, uoi worth half—either for looks or in a pecuniary lense—the value of the herd that formerly occupied the paddock. Mr Forrest did not believe in dairying with milk at 2J,d per gallon. His experience had been that he bought rows at i' 4 and after the milking season was over lie sold them at £2. He milked 'Jieui about 40 weeks and the amount received for the milk was about Is pur week for each cow : consequently the sum lie realized by the sale of cows and milk just about the lirst cost of the cows, without l»aving anything for cost of feed and trouble, gv he said : No ri.crc Cairyiut fcr him

Mr T. w. lii • .'■■ lid h- w ■h : say he r,r.!d giv- a y.: | . account ot dairy::.' tn:.;i Ml 1"! * ''■"" had '.mi ', for it lino paid l.mi, am! had no' nn 1 v rdd !:iin, I '■" l"'d 1 lm » ; comely." .1.- tnol; t„. '..'d; I'"'" - kura fact. >y, ai.'i :1 exisNul, t.in.-y wonld ini'l inm Ui'ae wry niornin'.! with lim mi'!:. 11" t'.ok hi* proportion of skim milk haeK heme, and f.,1 pig i wi.!. r. M t"- •,■ op -it !.l" -■■'.: - '■ ifinhuoiir;„id II.: t rusted tie i'i distrv Ih.tt Mr H>-:siV Reynolds hid •■ ■ diiished in their m'.o l would pro | n I _ pro'. •• H iniiui'i 'i "'•• to th" |"r.'■ i■r, a ; ic li io doui' to th" fanm is. IL* I».■ 111 i■'l m " pra'- ni'' the iii'i,!_'o tnai .*i,'li o iniu over,*' and it was one to tli" t ai.'toi \ that he was to-clav a tri"' ao.i i'idt |na,do if man—a sentiment that ho wished fv.-vj fanner in the district could le-eer e Tin y Imi'i licit evening Ii li«; d breed spoken of in auytli ug but a pi'-'. - iiiLt manner —ad sorts of iil' l ',' ■o' m I had been hmnelied at tin ni--ba' lebelieved in thuni, and lie was yonv.' in for them "slap kui«." I'eiwm.i'y 1,,; t,i 1 l'.ot had any exned.ne" of them, but in th' 1 Oid Country he had lived alfingr-idu a mm who mili;e i thirty .Jcrsevs, and tuft I" a t'ond thin.: Of it. 11'*: deprecated t'l" liipima manner in which Mr Forrest had treated thu subject, as it, wnR one of grerd, importance to t lie district. Mr Fisher thought that Me-rs Fori'".-:;, and Kicks were both riuht. It a t-irni'-r bad bad cowh, lie should sell, as Mr Forrest had done ; but if t.hey were good milkers, then they should be kept. Mr Tucker asked at what age heifers ■hould be put to tile bull ? From several answers to cnipiiries that he had seen in a Canterbury paper, the opinion in that district appeared to bo at from 17 to 120 mouths.

The Chairman and Mr Runciuian thought about two years the most suit able age. Mr Hicks asked Mr Runciman wdiat he considered the best use for skim milk? Mr Runciman replied to feed pigs, unless more stock was wanted on the farm. Mr Hick- : Decidedly ! I sell my calves and give the r.r.lk tu tile pig- ;. and this morning when f kinked oat of my window I saw a sew had e gut iittle one.', and ! thought there's about L'-t iu a coniile of months any how ! Mr R. Reynolds drew attention to the fact that no one had said anything about milk as a food. Mr Hyatt thought it was almost unnecessary as everyone was acquainted with its good qua*icii s. It was the sole food supplied by ri.itare in a complete form and'was th<T«fov.* used as the, si and ard value from which to compare other foods. The Chairman then called upon Mr Reynolds to reply to tie criticisms upon his D iper. Mr Remolds said he had been pretty well scarified all rourd, but as he felt that the discussion would have good results, he (1,1 lint, ..hj"ct to the operation. What was wanted was a cow that would produce ho.'fi !;>lb t.. butter per week and also good Stock. He must aay Mr lliuiiimun liel given vent to some very stroni; ex or s-.ion- about the Jersey cattle. He was swiiy the " vi< w over the ience was not a- plea 1 iug to Mr Runcima:) as forim r!y. but inthought the breed that Mr Runciman despised ao much would became better known and npp'wiated in W)ikato. Their e lour.-, u.iidit be p (Miliar but they '"'.nM ii ijswhly, wit' :| i would chal t• 11■_: = M'' Unneimaii pre luce an eighteen tmeitiis oel thai \.oui I compare with one that lie -.the Speakei ) had of the Jersey hi.a d. (.Mr Runciman: No one said tie'V wmitd if biMm.) It they would reh r ti. his ;.ap''r i'hey wa.aiid find the bnll ilia l : Mr Kuncinian ad'.ai catccl was MT.i'mr to \\w or.eh" had suegesiail should be cres'ed with Cha'iiiK I Island (.'a'the For irilkiuu <|iialitie.-i h.! had fuueai le. tiling to touch t.iie .fei a-ys, hofli f.»r ip.akty and the length et tore they would milk ; in fact the iMlicuirv wii- to get ■»« dry, whereas the diiXe'iity uiil. "ih -r was to i iheiii v 11. I. ieog to system ot te.-tiae, milk a. !..■■ ta. i"elv must, sav i! \v;>s r r " sa :' ( •* >ry, r.rsd would (i'.iil'lh s j-in.ii I. • 'i ia ; direction that would hem lit th'.;w ui.« wipplied rieli milk. A «•.•>•/ t i jir-.dnee first cla ■■ belt, r mint ,nv .--laiur. than Sh'.rth- n am' '.er . -.a ; ti 1.-. . labour fi■.'lo yea.Mr Kan.-.n,: had d-.ii n v . a tae-d f.: met. the ia I|M' eir. at- 11 a;y aijs'ixl '' lluucililiin had )" teria il 10 .Ur l'u.:as herd ; lie (Mr Reynold:- 1 h.d ai the cattle, and he Ii o -gist M>' F'-od had d. ':e riitht in parting with them, for tiicy tainly Were nt t;a- corr et breed, iv gardiu:: tie- eat-tl: ai Xt '..•st.he t.hougld. Mr Kuiiriiuhii had gone sami'what (Hit. of his way to put a value upnn them will-iut being nq;iest--.l bi eo .'-o, and in d'.iog :[» li.io I e.!. d woai. he did not underhand. It might cum; Mr Runciuian'-' mind tu kiniw that the herd that lie had funnerly admir'.-d so much were still at Newstead, but \'.a re on a part of the estate that could not In viewed from his property. Mr Reynolds said that during Ida brother's -disenee he had endeavouied to improve the quality of butter made at the New.-l.ead factory, and had been successful, for only last week he heard from his brother that the Nov,-stead butter had been pronounced the best of any received from the factories. The Jersey heifers should be put to the bull at not m ire than twelve months of age, as they matured early, and if left to two years old were apt to prove barren. No breed would fatten quicker than the Jerseys, although some might be ill-::hape 1. In caiiclu ion lie said Mr Kuueiman evidently had not an eye for the beautiful, lor as a rule the Jersey cattle w.o'e perfect pictures, and the most beautiful sight that lie saw at tho Melbourne Exhibition was a Jersey. This closed the discussion, but several remarks were afterwards interjected by various indivi duals, and idle meeting closed with the usual votes of thanks.