18 



TliL- following is an example from my own dairy, showing how 

 important it is fur dairymen to keep records, and how impossible it is 

 for them to know what their cows are doing without them :— 



This cow milked fur ... ... 233 days and gave 2,676 lbs of milk. 



Was dry for ... ... 71 days. 



Dropped another calf and in the next 61 days and gave 976 lbs of milk. 



365 3,652 



I had decided to get rid of this cow on the apparently poor form 

 shown in the first 233 days, hut after making up her record for the 

 year I was agreeably surprised to find that her yield was 652 lbs. in 

 excess of my minimum. 



As I am not in the daily business for my health, the questions — 

 '• Dairy and Profit." and " How to obtain the milk flow." are problems 

 ever before me. To find out the unprofitable cows is one matter, but 

 to replace them by better is another . and as there are no good cows 

 to be purchased locaUy. the dairyman must either import or breed, I 

 have chosen the latter course, and in a future number of this Journal 

 1 will take up the subject of the " Raising of calves by Dairymen." — 

 Journal Jamaica Agricultural Society. 



A. H. PINNOCK. 



586.-HORSB-MOW1NG MACHINES. 



Not a few people support the view that horse-power machines can 

 lie effectively used in the tropics. Among them is A. H. Pinnock,. 

 whose article in the Agricultural Society'* Journal of Jamaica, we 

 reprint in full. 



There can be no doubt that there is much to be said in favour of 

 such machines, but at the same time it would not be wise to disregard 

 the light afforded by past rxperiences of the difficulties which arise 

 during their use. 



More than 2<» years ago the liuck-eye Mower w r as introduced into 

 Jamaica for cutting pasture grasses, and was reported successful. A. 

 horse rake was also in use. 



In Trinidad in 1896 the Manager of the Government Farm intro- 

 duced a Ransomes Hay Mower and Horse Rake, and an account is 

 given of its Avorking in Agricultural Society's proceedings Vol. II., 

 p. 31. In this paper Mr. Meaden records that one difficulty is that 

 Trinidad is : ' so far from the manufactory." that it is difficult to get 

 parts replaced when broken, but reports that he cleared pastures with 

 the machines at a very cheap rate. 



Recently another machine has been used for the Queen's Park 

 Savannah and appears to be doing good work. 



The machine reported on by Mr. A. II. Pinnock is stated to do the 

 work well, and to be an acquisition to Jamaica. 



Tlic nal test, however, of the value of such machines is to find 

 out how long they continue in use. and not merely what they will do 

 when firsl imported (i.e.) How will they stand the test of time? 



