26 Agric'ultiiral Journal of Victoria. 



August o"8, September 3'9^ October 4*89. Lloyd also found that 

 the average test of one lierd, during a period of drought, was very 

 mucli lover than it had been in the same herd the previous year. 

 Innumerable instances to the same effect could be given of investiga- 

 tions in nearly every country where dairying is carried on. 



The variations in test may be divided into three classes. (1) Those 

 that are natural and progressive. (2) Those that are rather accidental 

 and usually temporary. (3) All the variations whose cause is un- 

 known. The widest and most common variation is due to the period 

 of lactation. It is well-known that a newly calved cow's milk tests 

 low, and that her test rises as she becomes a stripper. The second 

 class of variation is produced by a number of different causes. There 

 is usually a difference between morning's and evening's milk, the 

 milk drawn after the shortest period is the richest, although, when 

 cows lie still the milk will test less. The variation in the test of 

 milk first and last drawn, is very great, the first drawn being poorer 

 in butter fat, and differences as wide as one and ten per cent, in the 

 first and last few pints have not infrequently been noticed. There 

 are a number of conditions that disturb the percentage of fat in milk, 

 sometimes by decreasing it, and generally becoming more pronounced 

 for several milkings, but even though the gradual return to normal 

 conditions may cause the quantity to reach the former level, the quality 

 remains inferior, so that there is, on the whole, a considerable falling 

 off in the total production of milk and butter fat. These conditions 

 are rough treatment, exposure to rain and bad weather, change of feed, 

 change of milkers, speed of milking, unusual excitement or sickness, 

 shortness of feed, &c. 



Lloyd found that a herd fed on one paddock in October for six 

 days gave an average test of 5'1, and for the next sixteen days on 

 another paddock 4'68. In this case the fat content of the milk is 

 controlled by the nutriment in the food, and this by the nature of the 

 soil and climate. Mr. Wyatt, of the Yarram Butter Factory gave me 

 an instance of a cow which tested 5*8 at Woodside, some distance 

 from Yarram, and when removed to Yarram the test dropped to 4*6, 

 and although the cow was fed as much as she would eat the test was 

 not increased above 4'6. 



There, I think they must have the herd with the record low test. 

 It was tested by Mr Potts, September 9th, 1898 ; No. ] was 2*8 per 

 cent, of fat ; No. 2, 2-2 ; No. 3, 2-8 ; No. 4, 3-6 ; No. 5, 3-0 ; No. 6, 

 2-9 ; No. 7, 2-4 ; No. 8, 3-2 ; No. 9, 2-8 ; No. lU, 2-8. The average 

 being 2'85. These cows would not give a payable return for the food 

 they ate, and I am afraid many farmers have cows equally bad, which 

 are, in reality- eating up the profits of the other and better animals. 



Every farmer should have his cows tested regularly, and fix a 

 standard, and by the scales and Babcock cull out all below that 

 standard and spay them. If all dairy farmers will adopt this plan, 

 their output may be doubled without increasing the number of cows. 

 With this end in view the officers of this department will teach any 

 farmers how to use the machine and work out the tests. 



