COWS DRY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 263, 30 July 1908, Page 3

COWS DRY.

THE ADVANTACESOF WINTER DAIRY- ■ 1 INC.';." - (By "Hipi Kuia," in "The Pastoralists' ' • Keview.") ■ i '•'When . New: Zealand first'began .to get a good riamo.for,hcr butter in'the English market, ' those in. authority arid experts in the. . trade tried to impress :on producers the necessity of keeping up a regular output throughout.the year. The reason given at : that time was that unless this was dono,we could not expect to keep ■ our customers. Since thoso far back days: the condition of. the, butter market greatly altered, there being now so many and varied sources of supply,_so that in some measure: each •; country has its own particular season for dumping its butter on ' the:'British;-market! V; Yet; it can bo readily understood that a' country or factory that can keep": its brand in regular. supply must have a. groat advantage, in; retaining:.cus- . tourers' .over, thoso that ,are intermittent.' .Of course, it, would not be wise, even if it were possible, to'supply a. certain ;number of boxes a month throughout t'no year, as the .spring . arid; early' summer will: always be'. the 'dairy-; man's harvest: '

Tho. winter,.output .of butter; 'more especially'on the West: Coast, of the' North Island, New Zealand', has' been''slowly,' but certainly, increasing ' yearly . .during - tho] last- decado. When the factory system was'; initiated supplier's were conteutif they kept; the factory, at work nine of perhaps only, six - months, while now. few -factories altogether close .down, except for a few days to clean up or renovate'-macbinery.' They do not: work-full time,'only- taking milk ihreo)times a week.for two months iiv...midwinter. . . ■ Dairying'.experts' have for some yearsV.been'. urging on.'the farmers in: that Dominion to extend their:.milking .in winter. Now,'if it can ;.be shown to be advantageous 'in Canhda';' with such 'a.-climate that all' stockhave to be-.housed six months in the year, surely it is more so under- the Southern Cross, :where seldom a -beast: is/ever .stabled, at least during, the .dayßut at the same time, dairymen' and .stockowners generally .would be. wisp ..to- providevmore shelter -for the short periods of rough weather" that do occur. One' of the chief reasons why provision should-be made, for --'winter.- dairying is that; having: to: pay" such .'high -prices* for land; it-.iyill hot:pay-to keep a-oow, and only milk her ; six- months in the year. . In . fact, to make dairying-pay. interest on the land cows- must be-.; got., together by,/testing and culling,-: so. that cv'cry one-,in tho herd will 'keep/ almost' continuously in milk, : giving a large : and-v'rieh snpply, :: so as , to - make both ■ ;'ends : -. meet.-,- . Besides,' : in ' any herd of any. size there 7 ; are,- always some cows that will, not 'come' into "profit at any given ,date, so there is always a little milking-,to d 0.., Therefore, it is surely advis-able-to increase, tho supply during, what is termed' the ...off season,; if only sufficient to pay the labour.bin. .^Perhaps,herein lies the solution of tho greatest trouble in connection with-raiilking—that if dairying is continued all the year; the; milker. will be assured of constant .work,'.which ina -great • measure will encourage'contentment, thereby making him take ah all-round interest, in the' farm. The last advantage to.be named of milking all-the' year will probably in practice be found tho greatest. Tho plough must be -.used, 1 and abundance of - succulent fodder: provided 'against either "drought or flood. It is wonderful what a few acres of land well cultivated will-produce. . With the large variety of milk-producing fodder plants that can be grown, a perfect; ration: can at all times be at; hand; ?;• The' ensilage '.stack -or pit is a surety at. all times, and iri .tho. near future will be. considered ;a necessity, of every 'farm, whilst tlie old-fdshioned hay stack'is a valuable .adjunct! ' Fos '' acting as.'.pick-me-ups, rcaizo; green oats and barley,;'tares, maun-els, sugar beet,.; arid many others can be grown, thus keeping tho cows' in ; perfect condition no matter what the season may prove to be. Grass will always be the mainstay, and should . bo grazed,systematically by being subdivided. Ihere is moro in systematic grazing than most farmers will, acknowledge. Besides providing fodder,; shelter must not bo neglected even in God's Own Country. A warm bed is worth,many pounds of food during a'spell of rough weather'.