96 Journal of AgrlcuUure, Victoria. [10 Feb., 1919. 



as a two and three-year old heifer (securing three championships last 

 season) has commenced her first herd-test trial. As a heifer, Mr. Eowe 

 was unable to dry her oif until within two weeks of her second calving; 

 and, as a consequence, althuogh yielding over 30 lbs. of milk a day now, 

 she might otherwise have been giving better results. Even as it is, 

 she will no doubt be well up on the list of heavy producers. 



Another fine cow is Lass's Favourite, by Lotina's Larkspur's Twylish 

 out of Canterbury Lass's Favourite. This cow has to her credit 246 

 lbs. of butter fat in the nine months' term of the Government test on 

 her first calf, and this without any special feeding. 



Larkspur's Claribelle 6th, by the same bull as the preceding cow, 

 but out of Claribelle 6th (whose sire was that fine bull, Optician) was 

 allotted a third prize in the Royal Agricultural Show, while her two- 

 year old son won wherever shown last year. She is a fine type of a 

 dairy cow, and has given 405 lbs. of butter fat in the Government test 

 of 273 days. 



It will be at once recognised that Mr. Eowe has a sound foundation 

 laid for his future herd in this pure-bred dairy stud. "With stock of 

 his own breeding, during 1917, the thirty-four cows on the farm, 

 including six two-year-old heifers, averaged £18 per head for butter 

 fat sold. For the year just ended, the returns for thirty-four head, 

 including eight two-year-old heifers, were just £18 per head, including 

 sales of pigs and calves. 



Mr. Rowe's farm is in no way different in class of land from 

 thousands of acres of Gippsland hill country. The reason of his success 

 rests on good management, a good type of cow, and plentiful feeding, 

 of which latter the oaten and wheaten hay, chaffed with green feed, 

 in summer forms the basis. Wherever successful dairymen, such as 

 Mr. Rowe, are found, in every instance good management, and particu- 

 larly a good system of feeding, will prove to be the main factors on 

 which success has been built. 



One of the main uses of a small plot of lucerne on a farm is as a 

 medicine to stock being fed on dry foods, and for this purpose it will 

 probably give best results if supplied as a small daily ration, but is very- 

 useful if only given periodically, providing the space of time between 

 supplies is not too long. Lucerne is very rich in nitrogenous food 

 materials, and as a consequence has a very narrow nutritive ratio, 

 meaning, that as a food for livestock it is unnecessarily rich in digestible 

 protein, and to make full use of this fodder it should always be fed in 

 admixture with foods containing less protein. The stems of the plant 

 being comparatively fine, it is readily eaten by livestock, and for the 

 same reason can be cured as hay without being in any way objectionable. 

 The crop can be manufactured into and stored as ensilage, but on the 

 whole must be considered as being too valuable a crop for this purpose. 

 All farm livestock do well on lucerne, either in the green state or as 

 hay, but because of its high protein content it is an exceptionally good 

 milk producer. — Journal of Agriculture of South Australia. 



