DAIRY YEAR STRETCHING OUT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1099, 11 April 1911, Page 8

DAIRY YEAR STRETCHING OUT.

WILL BUTTER BE PEAK?

The present dairying season is reckoned a ■ rather bad one, but while the milki yield fell away a good deal at a period which in a normal season would be accounted very early for such a reduction, the herds are now lasting out the milking . term better than was -expected. This is ; pronounced in some quarters and littlo .'■noticed in others, but taken as a whole ,it is.'very fortunate. The season isstretcii- ; in» out beyond the expectations of some ■;w : geks back, and thei\e seems no fear that the tail-end will be more prolific than reckoned on.

There lias been a lengthening. of the seasons for a good while. The tendency ; has been to commence milking earlier iii ; the year, and'cease later 1 in tho next year, j For some seasons.each spring has seen an j earlier beginning and eaeji autumn a later ■ close. But this season, farmers thought, [promised to show discord with the geni cra'l trend, and winter vacation at an early date was looked for. However, sncli : is not the case, and the season is spinning I out. well. j The extension of the season is welcomjed in certain quarters, where it was fearled that if the season closed abruptly and shipping was not ceased in lime there ; would be a shortage of butter for New I Zealand consumption and a consequent ; rise in price.

As to tho prico which New Zealand buyers will have to pay in tho winter months opinions differ. Somo ■Wellington people who handle the commodity are inclined to expect a rise; others consider it is already high enough.

A very convincing proof of the value of cow-testing lvas given by a speaker at a function, at Stratford, states an exchange. In his opiuion a lot of (he cows .now in use should be shot and buried. Tbey wore "robbers." He instanced the : case of a man w!io had been giving the ; milk of two ov three of his cows to calves ■because lie felt the milk was inferior, but ; testing had proved that the milk from ! these particular animals was tho best lie was obtaining. Ml'. Edward Loos has been appointed wool-classing instructor at the llastertoii Technical School,