Notes. 3 



and drafted for the purpose first of submitting' it for consideration 

 to all bodies concerned ; thereafter it is to be finally deliberated upon 

 by a conference composed of such bodies, the meeting- to be arrang-ed 

 by the South African Agricultural Union. 



The Profitable Dairy Cow. 



To those who have not seen it Ave Avould recomme]id a perusal 

 of the article that appeared in the May, 1922, issue of the Journal 

 entitled " The Dairy Industry in South Africa," tog-etber with that 

 very useful supplement, contained in the same issue, "The Feeding 

 and Management of Dairy Cattle." At the present stage in the 

 undovibted onward movement of dairy farming in this country, when 

 farmers are realizing the need of business-like co-operation in 

 reducing costs of production to a minimum and when prevailing 

 prices call for the utinost discrimination between the profitable cow 

 and the one that does not or has ceased to pay, it is imperative that 

 dairy farmers should avail themselves of the advice that the Depart- 

 ment is able to impart in the furtherance of their interests. Follow- 

 ing, therefore, the articles referred to above, there is published in 

 this issue one by Mr. Van Foreest, the Live Stock Officer of the 

 Department, dealing with the points of the dairy cow and the 

 qualities to be sought in selecting the one that is likely to give a 

 good return. The three qualities emphasized by Mr. Van Foreest as 

 essential in a good dairy cow are, first, constitution, the ability to 

 thrive under her local conditions; second, the production, given a 

 good sire, over a period of years of calves of merit; and, third, a 

 good milk yield. The writer of the article has had considerable 

 experience, and the various points which he sets out should be borne 

 in mind by present and prospective dairy farmers. In this connec- 

 tion farmers will find the keeping' of records and testing of their 

 cows, for the purpose of ascertaining the annual production of milk 

 and butter-fat of each cow, an invaluable practice. By this means 

 the poor and unprofitable cow can be detected and removed from 

 the herd, so that the future herd will be built up from the progeny 

 of cows that give a large yield of milk rich in fat. This practice 

 originated thirty years ago in Denmark, and has proved of such 

 benefit that it is now carried out in all parts of the world where 

 dairying is looked upon as an important industry. In the Union 

 it has made gratifying progress. Inaugurated under the Friesland 

 Cattle Breeders' Association, the milk record scheme to-day is 

 recognized by all pure-bred herds, irrespective of any particular 

 breed. The work of supervizing the taking of milk records of pure- 

 bred herds in the Union is carried out by tlie Dairy Division of the 

 Department, from which full particulars may be obtained. 



The need for expanding our markets for dairy produce, and in the 

 prosecution thereof the competition that is to be encountered from 

 other countries well versed in the art of the industry, demand the 

 application of modern and business-like methods on the part of the 

 Union's dairy farmers. Looking ahead also to the possibilities of an 

 export trade in dairy cows, breeders are advised of the necessity of 

 possessing- official records of their animals. The future holds much 

 promise, and with the assistance that the Department is able to 

 render, combined with the intelligent labour of dairy farmers, the 

 dairy industry may yet become pre-eminent in South Afirca. 



