The Award for Dairy Cow at the Show.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 4545, 18 November 1884, Page 3

The Award for Dairy Cow at the Show.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—Wo, tho undersigned, in justice to the judges ottho Show, in justice to tho owner of tho prize dairy cow, and in justice to ourselves, consider it a duty incumbent on us to reply to. and contradict tlie sevoral false charges and insinuations contained in the remarks published in your paper of the 12th inst. as gathered from a long lettor sent you by a Mr J. Beasoly. There were 7 cows entered for tho two dairy prizes, and that number, including Mr li.'s oow, was duly brought out and put into the ring. The judges decided that ono judging should determine both prizes, and after a most careful inspection of tho 7 animals thoy selected 3 cows as tho best, and had the prize tickets presented to each of the owners of the same. After thqt, their judging was at an end, and thoir docision, under any circumstances, could not afterwards be revoked. In passing, it might be said.it was a pity the Society "had not determined that the dairy cows should be first on the list to bo judgod, and not have tho poor animals put off till 3 o'clock with their udders full of milk. The second day of tho Show the cattle had all to be inside tho Show grounds by 9 o'clock, and the first prize cow that morning was milked at 4 o'clock. It was measured, and amounted to 14 quarts. At 3 o'clock sho was again milked on the Show ground, and filled a bucket of 3 gallons, and that without froth, and as two of the judges woro near the box at the time, their attention was called to the milk in the bucket, nt which they seemed very pleased. This bucket of milk was by one of us taken over to the Secretary's house, and the maid remarked it was about a three-gallon bucket, and gave us an empty ono in exchange, two quarts less. When this lesser one was put down in tho box it was handed to Mr Beosely to milk his cow, as ho had been boasting his cow could fill it easily. After he had beon milking somotimo, and hearing it whispored it wis not tho samo bucket, but a smallor ono, the cow either stopped giving down milk or ho stopped milking for reasons best known to himsolf, and when this smaller bucket wantod two inches from tho top of the froth being full. As to what was posted up about the quantity of milk takon from the prize cow daily, viz., over 28 quarts, we can vouch for the accuracy of the statement. For a week beforo the Show day, tho prize cow was milked both morning nnd evening in the presence of the owner, and the milk as duly measured. After the prize cow was drivon homo on tho second day of the Show nt half-post five o'clock p.m., sho was again milked, and gavo over 6 quarts of milk, thus making in all for that day something over 32 quarts, or equal to 8 gallons. We have all been connected with dairies many years. One of us has been in other countries and other provinces, and he in all his experience had only seen or heard of ono cow that could equal Mr Paton's cow fn quantity.— We remain, sir, yours, _c, A. Moboas, A., Given, and T. Ash, milkhands at Eden Hill Dairy. _____________»_,