10 July, 1917.] The Polka "I "That'll Do." 423 



firm an apostle of the policy of " 'I'liat'll do " to be influenced by any 

 remarks of mine; but to tliQpe who seek light 1 would sav tiiat tlie amount 

 ot fat lost in separated milk should never exceed .05 per cent. How 

 otteii have you tested or had tested your skim milk ? How 

 often have you sat down and thought about the cows vou keep, instead 

 of being up and about to try and find out which cows are keeping you? 

 L nder normal conditions fully 25 per cent, of cows are living a parasitic 

 life upon the remainder of the herd. To find them out it would be 

 necessary to weigh their milk and test it periodically. The reply to this 

 suggestion nine times out of ten is that it means extra work. If you 

 would C:irry it out for a little while you would find it saved work; thert 

 would be less to milk and feed and more money to sjiend. 



Mr. T. Mesley. of Dalyston, a well-known breeder of Jersey cattle, 

 who has recently entered his herd for Government testing, in forward- 

 ing his cheque for an account which had been rendered, stated: "I 

 consider the money well spent. What 1 thought would be a humbug 

 and worry has become a pleasure, and I now look forward to the visit 

 of your cfTicers, and the returns, in exj>ectation. It is a great ])ity that 

 farmers could not be induced to take up herd testin,g as a whole, for the 

 sake of the industry, and if at any time I can be of any service in 

 assisting to induce farmers to adopt herd testing I will be only too 

 pleased to do so." 



There is a dairy farmer near Melbourne who, en the question of 

 feeding his cows, is satisfied that "That'll do" is a losing policy. What 

 he wants is good cows that will produce the greatest amount of milk 

 for the least money, and his experience to date is that 15 lbs. of con- 

 centrated focd and as much chaff as the cows will eat is the cheapest — 

 and that is their present ration. He milks 46 cows, pays for all labour 

 (the milkers obtaining £2 per week and keep), and, after paying all ex- 

 penses, rent, labour, feed, makes a clear profit of £10 per week. He 

 boasts that he has nothing to do but walk about with his hands in his 

 pockets. Literally this is true, for he does no manual labour, not even 

 milking, but he is w-orking with his head and looking for better feed and 

 better methods. 



How does the policy of "That'll do" affect the quality of your 

 produce ? On a great many dairy farms cleanliness is ccnspicuous by its 

 absence. '' That'll do " reigns in respect of all operations from nrilking 

 to sending the cream to the factory once a week, and we find that of the 

 13,415 tons of butter exported last season 32 per cent, was below first 

 grade. Suppose we put the difference in price as between first grade 

 and this 32 per cent, as low as Id. per lb., we find a difference of 

 £9 6s. 8d. per ton, or over, a season of very small export, a loss of 

 £40,000; then add to this the loss from inferior butter en the local 

 market. Why should we nat supply all first grade butter and save the 

 greater portion of this amount ? 



Now turn to pig raising and see what this policy costs. In n ost 

 instances in pig farming the pig must have a sty, so a few old logs or 

 rails are obtained and a sheet or so cf iron, or part of an old tank, are 

 put together some distance from the house, but as near tlie da'ry ?s 

 fwssible, with tli? farmer's blessing of " That'll do." Bedding is pro- 

 bably provided — at first — but it is not long after the pig is introduced 

 to his new home that the .ground becomes saturated with rain, fseces, sour 

 milk, and ilelnix of all kinds, and the sty r.ttains the condition 



