TO Sept., 191:?.] Red Polls as Buffer Producers. 557 



On referring to table A, it will be noticed that the majority of the cows 

 show an increase in milk yield this season over that of 1910-11. The 

 only cows producing less milk this season being "Connecticut," "Bullion," 

 " Virginia," and " Havana." The three last-named were also below 

 their butter- fat returns of last season, whereas " Connecticut's " butter-fat 

 yield for this season shows an increase of 95 lbs. This cow's test in 

 1910-11 was 4.2 per cent, to 4.6 per cent., and in 1911-12 from 4.6 per 

 cent, to 6.2 per cent. ; such a case as this, and indeed some of the others 

 also emphasizes the necessity of systematic weighing and testing from year 

 to year, and not resting content wilh one year's records. The money 

 values of the returns this vear show a considerable increase over tho.se of 

 last year, partly due to the higher market price of butter-fat during the. 

 l)ast .season. The average monthly increase in the price since September, 

 1911, over the corresponding period this year was 3- id. per lb. of 

 i)utter-fat. 



The weights of the daily milk yields were recorded, and weekly fat 

 te.sts made by Mr. E. Steer, Dairy Herdsman, who has taken a keen 

 interest in the herd and managed it with success. The butter-fat tests 

 have been checked by the Senior Dairy Inspector (Mr. R. T. Archer) and 

 ihe Chemist for Agriculture (Mr. Rankin Scott). 



The stud bull " Tabacum " has been made available to settlers' cows 

 on the Boisdale Beet Farms. The plan has L^en adopted of selling the 

 bull calves under one year old at prices based on the preceding season's 

 butter-fat return of the dam. For instance, the cow " Muria " returned 

 240 lbs. of butter-fat, which, reckoned at is. per lb., etijuals ;^i2 — the 

 price realized for her calf. This is considered a fair basis for fixing the 

 \alue of a bull intended for dairy purposes. After all is said and done, 

 the value of a bull is in his potentiality for getting good milking heifers, 

 and the hereditary influence in this direction posse.ssed by the bull can 

 probably be best estimated to the extent of one-half at any rate by the 

 yielding capacity of the dam. This basis of sale seems likely to become 

 popular, as last year's crop of bull calves haye met a ready sale under it. 



The yearling bull " Vuelta's Son " (sire " Tabacum," dam " Vuelta ") 

 has, however^ been reserved from sale, notwithstanding a very tempting 

 offer for him received from a breeder of Red Polls in New 2Lealand after 

 reading the record of the dam. Prior to this it was decided to reserve 

 the bull for stud purposes and breeding experiments on the Central 

 Research Farm about to be established at Werribee. On referring to the 

 tables, it will be .seen that the dam •• Vuelta'" is a phenomenal })roducer. 

 In the sea.son 1910-11 she gave 556I gallons of milk, returning 405 lbs. 

 of butter-fat, value jQi'] los. lod. ; and in the past season .she yielded 

 485 lbs. of butter-fat from 775 gallons of milk, with a money value of 

 jQ26 5s. 9d. During the month of November (twenty weeks after calving) 

 '' Vuelta" averaged 19 lbs. 4 ozs. of butter-fat per week. 



The herd has recently been augmented by the purchase from Captain 

 Philip Charley, of Belmont, Richmond, New South Wales, of twelve 

 females and a young bull, "Nicotine," sired by the imported bull 

 "Acton Dewstone." dam " Chessie," by "Magician" (imported). These 

 cattle are descended from deep milking strains in the Old Country, and 

 appear to have the milking qualities well developed ; but as weighing and 

 testing the milk is the only reliable proof of individual milking qualities, 

 it will remain for their records to show to what extent the augmentation of 

 the herd in this way is advantageous. 



