TESTING THE HERDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 185, 6 August 1936, Page 4

TESTING THE HERDS.

LAST SEASON'S RESULTS. J

HIGHEST AVERAGE FOR YEARS. 1 OVER 262L8 BUTTERFAT. ) (From Our Own Correspondent.) XL AWAMUTU, Wednesday. Some remarkable figures appeal - in the averages just released by the New Zealand Co-operative Herd-Testing Association bearing on the past season's production. Tile association average tor the 1935-36 season showed an average of 262.041b fat from 9/,556 cows in 266 days. Figures back to the 1922-23 season show that only in the 1929-30 season was that average exceeded, when, due to a favourable autumn, the average was 262.731b fat from ril.SOl cows ill 260 days.

i lii.-i season Mr. A. E. Diprose, of Mangawhero (Matamata district), secured the high average of 410.441b fat in 299 days from his large herd of between 76 and 100 cows. Another farmer from the same district, Mr. G. H. Seed, secured an average of 371.681b fat in 294 days from his herd of 170 cows—remarkable figures for tile size of the herd. The highest average in the whole of the association for a herd was that of Mr. W. McDcll, of Whatawhata, with 444.831b in 282 days, but his herd only comprised six cows.

Four herds —one each at Manawaru, Matakana, Waihi and Whatawhata—averaged between 4001b and 45011) fat for this season; 45 others averaged over 3501b fat, 260 herds averaged over 3001b fat and 667 herds averaged over 2501b fat. On the other hand, only two of the 1630 herds under test averaged less than 1001b fat and 15 between 1001b and 1501b. There were 125 with a herd average of between 1001b aiul 2001b fat, and the remaining 512 herds averaged between 2001b and 2501b fat.

As to individual cows, only one exceeded 7001b fat. She is in the Hoe-o-Tuinui group. Ten others exceded the 6001b mark -—two at Hautapu, two at MangawheroMatamata and one each at Hinuera, Manawaru. Mangatawhiri, Matangi, Ngarua and Otorohanga. Sixty-two cows exceeded 5501b fat, 291 exceeded 5001b and 1102' cows exceeded 4501b fat. The greatest number of cows in any one of the production groups was 22,666 cows, ranging between 2501b and 2991b fat. In the group immediately above (between 3001b and 3491b) there were 17.346 cows, and in tiie group immediately below (2001b to 2491b) there were 20,609 cows. At the lower end of the ladder there were 348 cows who failed to produce 491b fat for the season, and a further 2621 cows who did not give 1001b fat.