TH6 JOURNAL 



or 



^fie ©eparfment of M^gricuffure 



or 



VICTORIA. NEwvoi 



Vol. XVI. Part 9. 10th September, 1918;u»<|JH^ 



THE STANDARD HERD TEST. 



Sixth Annual Report on the Testing of Pedigree Herds, conducted 

 by the Department of Agriculture, Victoria, for the Year 

 ended 30th June, 1918. 



By R. T. Archer, Senior Dairy Inspector. 



The Sixth Year of the Standard Herd Test has now been completed 

 and some very interesting and valuable results have accrued. It is 

 very pleasing and encouraging to note the increased interest being taken 

 in the system by farmers and others, although some of our chief breeders 

 have not so far decided to submit their cows to the only impartial test 

 of their value from a dairyman's point of view, i.e., the scales and 

 Babcock Tester. The time is at hand when the principal factor in 

 fixing the value of a cow of any of the dairy breeds will be the amount 

 of milk and butter-fat she is capable of producing rather than the points 

 that are considered in the show ring. Of course, when butter-fat pro- 

 ducing qualities are combined with physical appearance as in such 

 animals as Sweetbread and Mercedes Noble Queen amiong the Jerseys^ 

 Scottish Queen and Laura IV. among the Ayrshires and other hand- 

 some high-producing cows in these and other breeds, we have what may, 

 perhaps, be called the ideal type of cow. However, it is to the heavy 

 producers that we must look for progeny to increase the average produc- 

 ing capacity of the dairy herds of the State. Consider what it means. 



It is estimated that the average production of butter-fat per cow in 

 Victoria is about 140 lbs. At pre-wai* price, i.e.. Is. per lb., the financial 

 return would be £7 per cow. Compare this with the return from the 

 herd of Mr. J. D. Read. Six years ago nine of Mr. Read's cows 

 (including two first calf heifers) averaged 264 lbs. of butter-fat (at Is., 

 £13 2s. per cow). This past season twenty-three cows, including seven 

 first calf heifers, nine second calf heifers, and seven mature cows, 

 averaged 341 lbs. of butter-fat (at Is. per lb., this means £17 Is. per 



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