THE USEFUL SCRUB COW.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 269, 6 August 1908, Page 3

THE USEFUL SCRUB COW.

MILK WORTH MORE THAN ' MILLINERY.' . .. ' > (To tot Editor.) , Sir,—lt gives mdo great pleasure. to §up- ' port again tho cause of the maligned'scrub cow, and for, this-season I-cannot allow Mr. Bucntnan's abridged quotation of my letter to go unchallenged, lie says, "Mr. Prouso" contends', that tne .'first requirement of a dairy cow is to 'lay on fat,' but if: he enters auch'animals for butter-fat compctitions he . will; bo grievously disappointed." .. -What .1 :.said was, "In my 'opinion, the first requirement of a dairy cow is that she . /. shall' put/pn'/cbn'dition or. fat. My second re-' ;• quirerncnt is,' she shall uso" her fattening,, ; quality to /make ■' butter-fat. What' is re-, quired- is that <byi-selection ;th6 fattening quality shall bo diverted to tho milk/pail.: This.can be dope by .mating according ; ,to performance,/(arid'-not-according to ; ,tho milLnery they, wear."- . -But l iaust- tha'nk-.Mr. Buchanan for the ' /support he gives/my'-argument when he says '. : that: the ..Taranaki dairymen/- "and they are equal to any-in -the -world,"' 'are jn increasing / numbers going: in ' for—the scrub cow.- In, other words, Mr. Buchanan supports the' paper read- bv ; Mr. Corrigan (Preiident' of ■ the Hawerai Branch of tho-Farmers' Union) / at-a meeting .pf/'that-branch, where'he .ad- ' '. .'.Tocates ctoss/'breeding.; and he, favours; the --: Jersey- ; cross,, with . tho;: result . the profitable' scrub; 1 , .for. .if t ' the .cow Mary at Weraroa is .a' "'scrub, .so. - will, thes'o ■' be- Mr; - Corrigan.' advocates the short- • eat way to / 'get./, /what " I 'vhave' ..already ' .'.pointed (the' .Jersey) has • one :/.good/point,'-what,fat.► she,can-make she read-. !'■ Hy convert's/to ;butter-fat,- and the cross .with: " a. more 1 vigorous class gives a better Return." All I ask it- that the resulting scrub shall be- credited -with' her performance. With all duo deference -to Mr.; Buchanan's /opinion of ihe' hardiness' of ,tho: Jcrsfey-cow,. it ;he jwill, : -'Tractical iDairying -for Amtralia" (by ; J. P. Dowling), written for/aiid pub- /. lished by : the' Department of Agricultures/of ' New ' South - Wales —page 64, last clause—-ho will read; ."As a', hardy, ' rustling cow, ithe is: .totally / uiifit;l: dornot." think for: ' one : mdment. ; that'/anything'l . could ./writo. would-influence; any) of the/leading, pedigree ' breeders. 'They.'will/be/guided, by what' is' fashionable. • , ' •, /' ■/ '/ • -/ / / jf ' erperiments aro ,tq be/ carried out at '■ ■• Weraroa, to/. produce ■ -milking herds, ' I :ask that^/performance.• shall,'count first,, and.what' ■■:.■''■ ig'.fishionable/take a;secondary; position. For ,', the' purposV of i'selectipri, only, : four special arlieles are. required—a Babcock : tester, ■' scales,;a,camera,-and a,clock'.;' /i / ' r-hava'previously, expressed myself regarding the class of animals''! would advocate breeding;. .' Now' for -their milking/.qualities. ../ I claim that the pow'to .breed, is'-one. that, can 'be.- milke'd. in five minutes: How many - : farinefs give this . subject a moment's , /thought?/ With them ,tho : only "thing's. con- ; V-Bidered 'are pounds/:of - milk and--points in. butter-fat. '. Their>.;time;, apparently, 1 is ,i- of, .. .! small consequence;;' arid; yet :if they gavo -'the: ; .matter any 'attention at; all,' /they., wquldv bo _:' startled by: tho" results. The difference of /'.time.'between; a,'cow. that • takes/five, minutes ■to miLk -and;tho one that -takes 'fifteDn ,min-' j:/ lites; week,x amount;..to two;- hours twenty 'minutesj'-;which. tiiiio,! if .paid: for at;, -, .' one 'shilling . per,. Hour,'.will amount- to 2s.' 4d.' ' per week; vlt will thus.boseen that' tho,man; who breeds a herd on the lines I advocate cari'.save.more in/theZlaboiir;of ; mjlkin" the ... .'"cow. than the/whole'cost, of: its' feeding. / ;. ■ / To.,me}it;is.passing strange that a matter: . ..of/ 'snch ' vital .importance as free and-. easy .. • milking should have no, place in ideal ,of ' the ; pedigree/'.breeder. Evon/-, Dowling, on. pigo.66 'of th^ ! book/, previously, quoted, ;in .: / Riilo 36/io'r the. guidancej/of'.thei judge, says: ■The / teats moderate size', , ' large enough ■to bo held in the-full hand, squarely, placed / behind andi wi.de/apart.'' ' It,mado no differ:ence ;to./, the.-/pedigree ' breeder.-if she took twenty "minufes to iriilk'.'' There were no.'extra/ J p'6ffits; foi"' the* 'oksy: against .the. , hard ■ ; milkers' ordribblers.. In: the; "New, Zealand /;'Dairi'matf,".''of April' 20 of this year,-there'is : a photograph ofi the' "'Champion' Butter' Cow' of the World," A Holstein Freisan. But ,1 should *s'ay 'from ■,her photograph it would ■.'. take 'twenty . .minutes, to milk her, by. the Btyle and shape of , her teats. -•/- i ';,l :claim', I .,therpfbre,;that ..if the /Government; r':;is;going;tO/he]p/,th'e.struggling/.dairy. settlor'. • ; —rwho has •' always: more /to do- than he . can : find time, for—they-should breed stock that -■/will .save: time :an'd..make money' for. him ; tb-■ ■geth'er, .'and ;.T?har is -now;i often/ 'drudgeryA would: : then'i-be.-,a' pleasure •to - him and, his bovino-.'friend?. :. , : , /;;...../;,' /■■■ '.'/• i We all know that-if. anyone wants fasluon- ;. able articles,.-he must, be. prepared : to. pay, '. fashionable ;prices/;;but .1 .advocate the article that;,most' dairymen .want;■ and.l hope, that'some attempt: will bo made at i Weraroa to fmake/provision .to - supply .this .want./;.: ; •. The • scrub . cow- also .suffers injustice -in ' ' other directions, ; .;and; with your permission , I.hope to deal ;in'-a'ifuture contribution with these injustices,,or 'with' reflection cast mon'th'p/cllaracterof one of our most valued-' allies.—l-.'am,''etc;'■'.■■ :• JAMES PROUSE ■ Levin, August 3. ' ~ - [The •- importance of quickness in milking o,,which Mr. Prouse/gi'ves"prominence, )ng been genera] way,'but,it las remained for' Mr. Prouse to' give it promnence as'a'standard.point' of' intrinsic'value. ,m/a dairy cow.' .Mr.; Prouso' points' out that , tho difference in: the .-cost of milking'a cow. r in; fivo/.minutes and; milking - her :in fifteen t inimries ■ woiild' (at- Is.' an "hour); amount to ' 2s. per week; .iTherargtunent 'can be car- . ried: further.' :In'.these ; days ,of ;.scar'city .of labour the size of itho,herd:a' man-can handle :is consideration.': A'.staff - of .inilkbrs -capable *of :milking a' hundred 'cows 'which/ take fifteen- minutes /each '. to .milk ■'could,--if'they-were each milked in il\-o inir,- ' utes,''deal:,witlr'a';hcrd of/3po cows. There 1 would: bo;, three /times the ' income, and no ' iestra expense except;that-of rent for extra ; land.': This ! controversy •on '" scrub cows " has bccome. not only a debate oil tho relative merits) of'purebred and crossbred 'cows (for each of which/some good points have. been made out)' but also a discussion of important ... utility points; ;that; will . be. of valuo ■to • all ■owners of dairy cattle,"purebred and other-' Wise.—Ed.]' ,