THE COUNTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 214, 6 September 1912, Page 9

THE COUNTRY.

TESTING PUREBRED HERDS.

One oi the most import-ant features in jonnection with the -testing movement, which has now been established in the Dominion, Is the question of extendiixr .this work to tin; pure-bred stock, Ihls will have a very important bearing on the dairy industry. While it is, essential thai every farmer should bare, bis lie: d tested in order to select iiij best animals to breed from, and to mil out those which are unprofitable, he has to depend mainly on the sire used for the progress he can make in building up his herd; and if lie is a wise man ho will use only a sire from a dam of good milking strain from one of the wellknown dairy breeds. And although there arc many sti-.-h animals in. New -Zealand, the average dairy farmer is often in doubt as to where he «in procure the one most suited to his purposes; that is to say, an animal bred from a dam of deep milking power. There is trery prospect, however, that th i difficulty will bo overcome now that, the owners of pure-bred stock are realising this important, feature of the business. lie Hoist.'in- Association is the first in She field in this respect, having catered into an arrangement with the Deparanent of Agriculture whereby the. members can have their cows -s-üb-mitted'to a semi-official test, and breedera of other pure-bred stock -will no dontt follow the example of the Hklstwil people. The main feature of the system adopted by the Holstein-Friesran Association is 'based on the fact that members can have the production of their omra 'officially checked. After fully discussing the subject at their a-anual meeting a-t the National Dairy Show at Palmeraton North, and at which the scheme .mi fully explained by the Director of the Dairy Division (Mr Cuddle}, the rules as laid down by the Director, and aa already published in the '• Farmer," weTe adopted in full. It will have been noted that one of the rules provides that the sum of £2 per head is to bo paid by the owners of cattle entered for the semi-official record, and this at first sight will seem rather a heavy charge. But it must be remembered that this semi-official testing is quite apart from that of the ordinary herd-testing scheme. It is recognised that the cow which qualifies for the semi-official record will have an increased value to the owner, not, only on account of the animal herself, but mainly owing to the increased value of her progeny. If, for example, a breeder has a. -iherd of joung bulls to sell which' have been bred from cows earning the semi-official relord, the value of those young 'bulls will be greatly enhanced, and this will far more than compensate the owner for the expense incurred 'by having his cattle tested on the lines laid down. In 'the event of the owner being able to sell eyen one bull at an 'advanced price, it ■would probably pay the full cost to him of having the official record of his cows taken.

i Seeing, then, that this is purely a busiBess proposition, no progressive breeder should object, to the charge which it is proposed to make by the Department. It is not expected that owners of puretad etoek will enter all their animals 'or the semi-official records; it is probaMe that only those cows who are likely to earn the order of merit will be tested in this semi-official way, so that it is just possible that a breeder may only •Irish to test four or five of his 'best cows w even less. The amount of money expended by him, therefore, even at a fee .of £2 per head, would not be prohibitive, the Department being agreeable to last the smallest number of cowe for any breeder. The system has been confined solely to stock entered in the herd book ♦f the "breed to which they belong. ■ As the rules provide that an officer of itQio Department must attend at the fora for two days in each month to see the rows milked, weigh the milk, and •take a sample of it; and seeing that only some 13 or 14 herds can be visited in..a month by one man, the expense incurred in carrying, out tte -scheme will be considerable M d cannot, result in any profit accruing to the Department: in fact, it »S1 be a fortunate thing if the fees recovered will meet the whole of the expense. .

In -the past many dairy farmers have foeen anxious to procure .a ■■good purebfed bull, but it has been a somewhat difficult matter to buy an animal the record of -whose dam has been officially guaranteed. Now that this scheme of Mffii-offieial tcatiiifj has come into force, however, the matter should be greatly Uplifted for the purchaser, who will be a We to stipulate for the class of animal ie requires, ■whiln the seller will also 'be tabled to realise a higher price, owing '° the fact of his having a record of • ™* dam of the animal to be sold. This WSii-official testing will supply a longfelt want, and wall facilitate the sale of stock between the breeders themselves, acting at the same time as a guarantee

to the farmer, who is endeavouring to | build up his crossbred herd. , Taking these things into consideration, the outlay is small in comparison with the benefits the .breeder will receive. At the two last spring shows at Palmerston North a number of pure-bred bulls were di*po.-cd of by the Department of Agriculture, and the prices realised for the animals, which were yearlings, were far ivbovp the average realised for stock bred by private owners. The main reason for this lay in the fact that the milking records and butter-fat product/ion of the dams were produced at the sale. This goes to show that dairy farmers are willing to pay top prices 'for sires which they consider are suitable for improving the herds, more especially when they have ■the advantage of knowing the productiveness of the animals from which those that have been sold have descended. Under the circumstances, it cannot therefore 'be considered that the charge of £2 for each animal entered for the semiofficial record is excessive, as the breeder stands to make a handsome profit from the transaction.

There is another very important point in connection -with this scheme ior semiofficial testing, and that is the chances of an export" trade dn pure-bred' dairy cattle being opened irp with some of 'the countries outside New Zealand. It stands to reason, for instance, that some of the dairy farmers or breeders in Australia might be induced to purchase stock in New Zealand when they are assured stock purchased carries with at the official record of performances, which, to3<bher with the pedigree, will ensure to the purchaser a good bargain.