THE DAIRY.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 2210, 29 August 1910, Page 7

THE DAIRY.

RUftGING COWS. Science teaches that warmth in the animal economy is produced and maintained at the expense of food consumption. Every practical farmer knows that keeping his cows warm means a saving in food and an increase in the production, just as assuredly as keeping them cold means an increase of food and a decrease in production. Warmth economises food, experience having incontestably proved that animals exposed to a low temperature in winter require much more food to maintain them in a thriving condition than others provided with warmth. It has been demonstrated beyond doubt that rugging is the most effective, also by far the cheapest system to protect the cattle from the cold weather.

Cows that are rugged increase their milk yield on a smaller quantity oi food, and maintain their condition better than it is possible for cows to do that are not rugged. When cows are reduced in condition by exposure to the cold weather during the winter, the most profitable portion of the spring expires before the butter producing capacity is ouco more properly restored. It is well known that a cow's butter producing capacity may be reduced 50 per cent, during the season, owing to neglect

to provide warmth during winter. The cost of a rug is paid for the first season, several times over, by the increased yield of milk alone. It should not need any arguments to convince dairymen of these facts, yet many are blind to their own interests by neglecting to adopt the system of rugging.

THE VALUE OP THE SHORTHORN. In the selection of a siro the two points that are absolutely essential are "milk and constitution." With regard to the breed, the non-pedigree shorthorn appears to be the one generally kept by the majority of farmers ; and with good reasons. If the same attention were given to this breed for darying purposes as has been given to it in the past, with a view- to beef production, we should obtain the ideal dairy farmer's cow. The question of the cost of making the records was small when compared with the benefits accruing ; and to make the movement a complete success it must be a State aSair, if not a national one, and should be taken up by every section of dairy farmers. Amongst some dairy farmers there i 6 a prejudice against the pedigree shorthorn bull, not entirely without reason. Pedigree should mean quite as much to the dairy farmer as to the shorthorn breeder, but it is necessary to discriminate between the pedigree of milk and the pedigree of beef. There is plenty of room for both these strains in the shorthorn world, and, fortunately, there appears to be a growing movement in favour of giving more attention to the milking qualities of this excellent breed. It does not require much foresight to forsee that that a time will come when those who do not record their milk will find that their neighbours can make milk production pay, while they themselves are losing money, and eventually will be crush* ed out.

LACTIC ACID BACILLUS. The medical profession has suddenly arisen to the importance of lactic acid bacillus as a cure or preventive of intestinal indigestion. It would not be sufficiently dignified to speak of this important specific simply as sour or butter milk, but that is virtually what it is. It becomes much more pretentious and acceptable when distinguished by a scientific designation. It was stated in the annual report of the Wensleydale Pure Milk Society that a scheme had already been begun for providing the article, not simply as butter milk or sour milk, but as the Metchnikoff brand. The milk is first pasteurised, and then inoculated with pure cultures of the original Hungarian large lactic acid bacillus and the paralactic bacillus. The departure is meeting with an encouraging reception, s considerable trade in this class of milk having been already established. Many believe that cheese fulfils a similar function, though it is commonly regarded as a fruitful source of indigestion.