LAND, STOCK & CROPS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 286, 14 September 1933, Page 7

LAND, STOCK & CROPS

4 NOTES AND COMMENTS. (By "The Tramp"). The cow production of Denmark has increased from its 1,579,000 in 1929. Prices of dairy products have declined there as elsewhere, the quotation on highest quality butter being 10 cents on April 6. Being realists rather than theorists, the Danes are meeting the situation by frontal attack. They are killing cows at the rate of some 4000 per week and it is estimated 50,000 were slaughtered in May. The American agricultural attache at London lias confirmed this report by cable , to Chief Reed of the U.S. Bureau of Dairy "Industry. He states that it is understood this slaughter will continue until the number of milk cows is reduced to normal.

But, this is not just a programme of killing cows. The Danes are too sensible for that. They are killing the cows that are 'either old or unprofitable—and they know their cows because they keep records of production. Are we in the United States capable of evolving as sensible and forthright a programme?-—"Hoard's Dairyman.'

"Our new agricultural policy looks like bringing about an. invasion of Danes into Britain that might become comparable with the invasion of Scottish farmers into Essex in the 'eighties. From many quarters I hear of Danish farmers and Danish companies that are preparing to take English farms next Michaelmas," says a Home writer. "Some are intending to use their land to produce wheat by mechanical methods, more have their eye upon pig farming. In East Anglia, Essex, Sussex, Hampshire and Wiltshire, Danes will be producing the pigs for the English market that formerly they produced in their own country. Since bacon, in contrast to manufactured goods, is a commodity of which we do not produce enough. I think this will be all to the good. It will be interesting to see if they obtain permission to bring their own Landrace breed with them, or develop their herds from English breeds. Certainly, it looks as if there would be something doing for the Home breeders of Large Whites, so popular in Denmark. It is also reported that an Irish pig breeder has made plans to transfer his large establishment to this country."

Sir George Bowen presided at a meeting of the Council of Agriculture for Wales held at Shrewsbury. Mr Walter E. Elliott' Minister of Agriculture, attended the meeting "and replied to a number of questions. The Minister said: "The long quarrel of the towns with the country is for the time being recpnciled, and the towns are willing to give the countryside a chance. That is a point that cannot be too vigorously emphasised. The towns are beginning to see that, unless they regain a prosperous agriculture, thero will be superadded to the industrial depression a depression in the countryside which might double' and treble the difficulties which the towns have to-day, and so the towns have abandoned this deadly gospel of cheapness at all costs, which has been so much the bane of the countryside in the past." For good or ill, the Minister added, the country was moving along the lines of a regulated flow of products on the market. Referring to the various schemes devised to benefit agriculture by the Government, ho emphasised the point that the agricultural industry and could not maintain itself unless organised to compete with the highly organised countries of the world. That lact put Wales above all in a difficult position, because of the individualistic position held by the Welsh farmer. In regulating foreign imports they had to satisfy whatever was done to the housewife.

In the selecting of cattle for dairy purposes, whatever the breed may be, the importance of obtaining stock from first-class milking strains cannot be over - emphasised. Special attention should also be given to the particular object for which the milk is required; the milk-seller and the cheese-maker require a large yield of fairly rich milk, whereas for the butter-maker the richness of the milk in fat is the most important factor. The special points of such cattle to be considered are:—

(1) General appearance, denoting constitution and milking qualities, and the conformity to type that is noticeable in all well-bred animals.

(2) Shape and capacity of the udder, and size of milk veins and teats.

(3) General indication of suitability for dairy purposes. The ideal dairy cow, no matter of what breed, should be wedge-shaped, the side lines tapering from the hindquarters towards the-neck. The head should be fine, and the eyes rather prominent, the neck and throat clean, the horns small and not coarse. The dewlap should be, thin and not too fleshy. The shoulders should bo light and oblique with rather pronounced withers free from flesh, while the back should bo lean. The abdomen should be capacious in order to deal with large quantities of food. The hips should be placed wide apart and level with the back.

The rump should be long and wide with a fine tail well set on reaching down to the rocks. The thighs should be long and lean and the flanks thin, the hocks wide apart and set square, allowing plenty of room for udder. In comparison with a beef animal a typical dairy cow often appears flat-sided, but depth of body,' which denotes constitution, will make up for this apparent defect. If the cow is one of the Channel Island breeds the hoof should be small and bright in colour, the skin mellow, soft and creamy, the horns crumpled and well set on, yellow at the base and black towards the tip.

Perhaps no single part of the cowls so important in determining her milk-producing ability as the udder, which should extend' well, forward, be full and capacious, and silky to the touch.