6oo 



Journal of Agriculture. 



[lo Oct., 1908. 



The following is a record of thirteen three-year-old, pedigree short- 

 horns (heifers) for the year 1905-6 : — 



Averas;e 



583 



-89-9 



As far back as 1906, Mr. Crowe, Superintendent of Exports, issued 

 a pamphlet on the " Utility of Testing Cows," which may be had on 

 application to the Department. 



Other Victorian instances could be quoted of the value of records but 

 I will now refer to a few from New Zealand and Denmark. The fol- 

 lowing, taken from the New Zealand Annual Report of the Department of 

 Agriculture 1907, are results of tests carried out at the Weraroa Experi- 

 ment Farm : — 



•' The result last year of weighing each cow's milk morning and evening with 

 monthly butter-fat tests disclosed the fact that many of the herd were worthless 

 as dairy cows. A great number of them as they dried off were fattened and 

 sold to the butcher, and the season was started with a reduced number of cows. 

 Notwithstanding this, the monthly returns of milk are far ahead of last season. 

 The difference of a few of the returns of this season compared with last are ls 



under 



Milked 



1906. 

 42 



43 

 67 

 81 



"The impression that the system of weighing and recording each cow's milk 

 involves much trouble is erroneous. The beginning is the hardest part of it. If 

 dairymen would only give it a trial they would find the trouble and delay not 

 nearly so much as they had thought, and the work would become very interesting, 

 besides the profitable information being gained definitely as to which cows are 

 worth keeping and breeding from." 



" The following table shows the comparative results from 6 good and 6 in- 

 ferior cows : — 



Six Good Cows. 



August 

 September 

 Octolier 

 November 



COW!: 



i9°5. 



62 



72 



82 

 104 



Holstein 

 Shorthorn 



Butter 

 Fat at 

 lOjd. 

 per lb. 



lbs. 



450-1 

 402-3 



387-9 

 350-6 

 350-0 

 3457 



„ , , .,1 Skim Milk, 

 Butter 1- at i value at 

 Value. .2d. per ! 



sallon. 



£ .s. d. £ s. d 



10 18 10 

 17 12 o 

 16 19 5 

 1569 

 15 6 3 

 15 2 5 



2 3 

 I 18 

 I 18 



' 13 

 I 12 

 110 



10 16 



Total 

 Value. 



£ .s. d. 



21 16 II 



19 10 6 



18 17 6 



17 o 4 



16 18 ID 



16 13 O 



iio 17 I 



