THE JERSEY AS A BUTTER COW.

Waikato Times, Volume XL, Issue 3207, 14 January 1893, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE JERSEY AS A BUTTER COW.

'The Jersey is no longer a fancier's cow, :,Tho day has gono by; when; she : was chiefly in demand as 'an'.ornament of the park. As she stands in the show-ring today, her merit in the eye of the judge no lonaai'-depends -n\m trivial, distinctions uf colour, black tongue, &c ; for unless she gives evidence of deep milking properties and rich dairy quality,; she. will not win favour either with the judge or the public. This change of view must he largely ascribed to the inlliier.ee of the practical genius of the Americans. Day by day the Jersey has advanced Oil the farms and homesteads of the United States, until now she is regarded as the butter cow of America. Her butter, styled gilt-edged, commands the highest prices; her performances are observed and registered with a care unknown elsewhere, and both by public and private tests every effort is made to maintain and even to increase in her offspring those qualities which have established her reputation, • The Jersey in the United States and Canada is a dairy-farmers' cow; surely, then, she must be worthy of a similar position among the stock of dairy farmers in New Zealand, with their more genial climate laud richer pastures. Many agencies are already at work to improve the position of the dairy industry in New Zealand, such as butter .factories, creameries, means'of cool storage,.&c„ but it is I hope no disparagement of the movements to urge that towards the eg-.' tablishment of the trade there can bo no more important factor than the/improvement of tk "butter cow" among our herds. , ' , Regarding the cow as a maohine for the production of butter, it is essential that her produce in butter and skim milk shoidd defray her ourrent cost, and provide profit as well, Tho annual yield of milk from a herd of Jerseys'will'vary according to the age and constitution of the cow." Aa regards age, the period be,tween her fifth and sixth years seoms, to bo the turning point in the life of a cow. Prior to that she is immature, her milk is less abundant and les3 rich; after that, and until her tenth year, sho may be considered in her prime. Observations and careful records in the herds of Lord Braybrooko and others, hare shown that tho' average milk flow of Jerseys with their first, Feeond, and third calves, is about 400.500, and COO gallons per annum.; It is therefore probable that an average of 500 gallons fairly represents the annual production of milk from a Jersey cow during her third, fourth, and fifth years. From this age up to her tenth year- she will yield 600 gallons per annum, Now, what is this quality of this milk for butter-making? The quality of Jersey milk as attested by analysis is notably rich ; in fact, it is richer, bulk, fori bulk, than that of any other known breed of cattle, In the milking trials conducted ,bv the British Dahy Farmers' Association in 18S9 and 1890/ the Jerseys stood first ou each occasion, with 5.47 and 5,43 per cent of butter fat respectively, The Shorthorns averaged 3.8 and 4 05 per cent, and tho 'Dutch 3.26 and 3.60 per cent. But the excellence of Jersey milk does not rest on this evidence alone. Another department of science bears equally emphatic testimony in its favour.. It is to, the large and uniform sizo of the fat globules in Jersey milk that its greatest value is due. Now, largo and uniform globules enhance the value of milk in three ways ; Ist. As separating more quickly and thoroughly with the cream. 2nd, As churning more readily and completely. 3rd, As producing a better quality of butter. .

Dr, Lowis Stnrtovant, .writinar in tbo' Journal of tho R.A.5.8., says, the larger the globules the'quicker the churning and better tlioqnulity of tho bntlor in respect of grain. Churningbeing a physical process, it acts only upon the larger fat globules; hence of two milks showing like figures in analysis, the churn will separate more butter finm : the one than from the other, especially if the milk be from two distinct breeds of cows. Large globules are also beneficial from the fact they collect or attach themselves to the smaller ones. Hence the custom, common in many .English dairies, of keeping a few Jerseys among a herd of Shorthorns,. It is found that by so doing both tho quality and quantity of buttor is improved . It thus appears'that Jersey milk has two distinct olaims to preeminence. K. Because bulk for ; bulk, 'it is tho richest in butter fat, 2nd. Because this, fat being iii large globules, is the best, adapted of any to utilisation by the churn; TenJersey cows wero recently ted on similar rations for twelve months. Tho milk of each cow was frequently tested by: the churn during the period, with tho result that it was found that it required from 6i to S| quarts of their milk to produce 1 lb. of butter. The fallacy of the common belief that the richer tho milk the, less the yield, was also proved on this occasion, as it was found that of these ten cows the one which gave tho most milk gave 812 gallons, which churned 1 lb, butler from 7f quarts milk; and tho one which yielded least gave 535 gallons, which ohurnod lib. butter to 8i quarts milk. Thus, it appears, that there isno .relation, betwpen'tlio yieldof milkand its richness, A series of experiments mndo by the English Jersey Society, covering a nutabar of years, have shown that it requires from' 15• 71 to 20*75 lbs, Jersey milk to produce I, lb, of butter, In the herd of Mr. Georgo Si.npsoii it ia found that 1 lb. of butter can bo made from 6 to 7- quarts of milk; and at the Stone-field Dairy, iLinooln;: in IS9I-92, 20,472 lbs. of butter wero mado from 339,907 lbs. of Jersey milk, that being at the rate of lib, butter from slightly over C| quarts milk.' With these and other experiences before us, it; seems reasonable, to state that when sot nnd churned in tho ordinary manner, 8 quarts Jersby milk will produce 'V'\b'. of" buttor. It ti.nst not, however, bo supposed that in assigning this valuo of 8 quarts to the lib,, butter as tho standard value of. Jewey milk, that wo have approaohed tho maximum rate of butter production,'as there are numerous authenticated instances of 1 lb, of butter being produced from 0,5, and even i quarts ef milk, Having ob-, tair.cd the data of tho ayerago yield of milk and of the avoraje qiiautity of milk required to produce 1 lb. of butter; wearo : now iri a position, to fairly, estimate . the annual production of a Jersey, cow, The milk yield wai fixed .as from 500; to 000 gallons per annum, and the butter ratio at 2 e-allouo of milk to 1 lb. of butter.' We eonolude,:lherefore, that the; annual production of butter from a hord of jail ages, would be 275 lbs, • por head, This estimate is bornb out by the evidence of various Jersey ownors in England, who, by keeping careful records, have ascertained that their butter averages from 250 lbs. to 360' lbs, per cow per annum, ; From the above facts and figures we obtain the following as the annual gross value of the, butter and skim-milk from a 'Jerky cow in Now ■Zealand:— • ' •; S< : 275 lbß. buttor, at lid ... £l2 12, 0 500 gallons skim-milk, at ~,<,. Id, per gallon ,„ ?L 8 ' With tbise facts before us, it is a matter for regret that we have so fow herds of Jerseys in the calony; but- if farmers in dairying districts could seoureithe services of Jersoy hulls, thoy would soon boe'ome possessed of half-bred cows, which would perhaps be oven more profitable for ordinary purposes than pure-bred Jerseys. [