KEENER FARMERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 19, 23 January 1929, Page 8

KEENER FARMERS.

"SLUMP A BLESSING."

HERD AVERAGES SrCBEAQ,

ELIMINATING THE "DRONES."

That the slump and the boom indirectly proved a blessing in disguise to farmers in the Waikato is the opinion advanced by a Hamilton resident eloseir associated with the dairying industry. In his opinion the period of adversity especially awakened men on the land to the paramount importance of striving to improve the quality of their herds, ana incidentally of the manufactured article. "If the slump had not been experienced," said the informant, "we would not have had dairy fanners with herd averages of over 3001b of fat per «*w It has made the farmers keener than they were when good times were being experienced. Then they were content to sit back, but to-day they are interesting themselves in herd-testing and other means calculated to improve the quality of their herds. Testing has develops* remarkably 6ince it was introduced to the Waikato in 1922, and it has obviated much of the guess-work as to which cots were the best producers that obtained prior to that date. It immediately reveals the animals that are profit-earning and those carried at a loss. As an Instance of its advantages, I might my there are many herds to-day averaging 1001b of butterfat more per cow thill six years ago. On that basis, assuming Bat butterfat is realising 1/6 a pound, a man milking 40 cows can increase Ma earnings by £300 without incurring additional expenditure. It is gratifying to note that rigid culling that has followed lierd-testing has resulted in better young stock being bred. In passing, I atigtt mention that more cows are being MfflSii to-day than last season, and that accounted for production in the spring again constituting a record. Actuallr, in the majority of cases, individual herdtesting figures did not show an increase. The prospects for a record season ate bright, as the autumn milking should prove far better than last year. Sew Zealand generally is fortunate at the moment in that it is experiencing a season sueh as it can look forward to probably only once in every ten rears, a season of record production and good prices for the manufactured article.**