N.Z. FARMERS UNION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3143, 23 July 1917, Page 8

N.Z. FARMERS UNION

NEWS AN]

! ; ; /tais $&6*B ."COSjtbbbnck. iii Dominion Conference of • (Tup New Zoalauil Jfarmers* Union «rb;th • His it> open this weak the "Farmers' Ad-sayas-2:." •? ".. "In the present' order i«.per fintrlioiis of soldiers' furnih', taxation; and shipping form a part, And as usual there aro " ' & oonsidt'inWs nmulwr of remits of minoi 5 • ■ ititiona], importance to be considered, but " there is a notivble abseuco of remits deal--7 3iijr with laud settlement, tenures, valuations, and departmental ma-.tors. of which .'"'jthere is gonarally a ."superabundance. • il'trere are, however, enough subjects for ' .' jflis§erlivtion 4 and it sc-.ns likely that tiie ,'confereuoo will bo as lengthy as on for- ; " ' Sliitr occasions. The conference will be ' fbnencd by Ihe customary presidential ndWrtKS, and though we must not anticipate Uhe speaker, it liot divnlgiug any Werot tv say that Sir ..lames Wilson's a<i- • foress will, if anything. be c-nitc as i'n- . .{cresting and int'oTiuaitvc as in former times. His annual review of the agricul- ... ftural outlook is always looked iqion as .. Tthe opinion 'of a studious. experienced . vNihserver.This year. Sir Janes . .Jiart wide scope in dealing wit.li the Various produces and with the difficulties jiwt, present:, and future, .which have • l)eon, or still have to be, overcome. • i. somewhat new departure in the .■■■■ rtiroceedin/w is coutomplutcd this year. - iLa.ttorly there has been much concern • • Vimorg the branches of the uniou about Stliu serious position of tlie dairy and ' ' Smeat iudustry, owing to the shortage of : •Tshippifflf.: ami (ho lack of storage accom1' '-modatiiju, and in order that this subject '"' *iiiay be. fully ventilated it has been <le''Vidwl'to ask tho various provincial execu- "" Jtlvos to conveiio meetings of far.uiers and "'Vymoint special delegates to mcoC Ihe V 011 Wednesday after- " :j)oon to discuss tho situation, and ; <'! if. possible devise some praci ical sugges- ; Hion U> sAve the industry from serious IoSS. .. ." : t ■ A SCORE CARD FOR DAIRY COWS ' . In tho '."Breeders' Gazette" (Chicago) : ... i npnears tho following score card for judging dairy cows. 111 preparing it r ... 'tho aim has boon to point, out the re- .. (Jation between the appearance o£ the - fcow and her various functions which aro cssontiab lq production, and at the same -- time to a.void too much detail. The ■...'/fact that the value of the dairy cow is - Mue mainly to her producing ability is . J-ept Ijeforo the person in- - 'torestcd. -■ ■ ; Points indicating efficiency of milksystem —40 per oent., i.e.: 1 Udder: Large, eveniv quartered;-well .-'held up, of good quality; attachments ; -Hong; teats square!v placed and t>f convenient- size .for- milking—3o. per, ''cut. ■ -Vaults: Udder pendulous, loosely steadied to body; attachments short; subfiance of .udder meaty or lumpy; qnartors of udder uneven; teats too fuiall, ' 100-largo, or. unevenly placed. ■'—Milk 'veins; capacious, branching, en- : tcring large or numerous wells—iO t-cr ' cont. ' . Faults: Wells and veins small; veins '—~ Varicose; veins large with small wells.

ID NOTES.

Points indicating dairy temperameut- •» per cent., i.e.:— ..Body: Wedge-shaped.- General appearance reniinine, angular, and lean, yst: clean-cut in e ver.v part, together with good.nualily and thril'lv condition--a per cent. Vaiiljs: Undue fleshiness, eoarseuesor Jack of symmetry, and feinininitv. tonus indicating constitutional strength and vi..;our-lj per ecu!., i.e.:--Nostnl; Large, open, distended-!, per cent. Taults: Small nostril, or one showing cofli-v-enpsF. . li.ye: Prominent, bright, mild, intelligent—l per cent. faults: Eye, sluggish, vicious, lierv, small or deep-set. Chest: Wide, deep, roomy—3 jier cent. I'aults: Chest narrow or shallow. _ ticneral build: Strong and : rugged for br.-ed, yet shora'ug good qualitv; pelvis long, roomy, and level—j per cent. I'aults: Undue refinement of bones, stuuted appearance, badly drooning laimp, weak back, pinched pin bones, lack of width through hips. Skin: ,Jioos6.and mellow, siiowing jood circulation and secretions—s jier cent. Nulls: Skin bnardy, tight, naperv; hnir harsh or staring. " • t I'oinls indicating capacity for handling leecl—Jll ppj. cent., i.e. :— Muzzle: Large, but not coarse—l per cent. I'aulls: .Muzzle pointed or narrow or extremely coarse. Jaw: Wide in angle, deep, strouß—l l>er cent. Faults: Jaw light, narrow in angle, or lacking in depth. Barrel: Deep. wide, long, well, held up, with ribs broad, long, far apart, slantine_. and well sprting—S per. cent. I'aults: t'lonk lucked up, slab-sided, weakened abdominal walls. l'oints indicating breed type—iO per cent., i.e. :— Points characteristic of the particular breed, such :u? size, colour, ioiuperainont, ruggeduess of build, character of head, and symmetry of Form—lo per cent. ■There can be no doubt that the development of the mammary system is the best, single index of tho producing ability of a dairy cow, and on the score card 40 points are accorded, the indications of .its efficiency. By dairy temperament this raid means (ho ability of the cow !o convert the feed she eats into milk raMier than meat. ,'Xhis ability can best be judged by spaieness and. angularity of form, coupled with evidence's of thrifty condition. Large capacity for taking feed in a cow is possibly not so'essential to high, production as to economy r,{ production. It is possible that a cow of sm.'.ll b:>rrel capacity, if fed a. concentrated ration, could supply her udder abundantly with nutrients for milk production. How ever, such production would not bo economical. If ajl dairy cows were judged by the same standard, saysthis writer in tho "Gazette," Hie breeds would tend, to become m;re and more alike.- There is no doubt that the type that indicates 1 heavy production in a Holstein cow will alio indicate heavy production in a Jeri sey. However, the breeds arc adapted Ito different climatic, and topographical : conditions on account of breed characteristics. Their milk fulfils different n.arI ket conditions on account of different | composition,.so that Jt is e.--ential that [tho characteristic type of the different breeds bo kept separate.