DAIRY COWS

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 32, 6 August 1921, Page 5

DAIRY COWS

A GREAT INCREASE.

The Government Statistician reports that there were 993^473 cows in milk in the Dominion at ulst January last (the latest figures). This is an increase of practically 100,000 dairy co\vs over last year. More milk.production should, of course, result, but the Manawatu special writer of the Farmers' Union Advocate throws an' interesting light on the subject of cows and their milk-pro-ducing capacity. He writes: "I was an onlooker at a sale in a town which shall be nameless. There were great numbers of both sheep and cattle in tho yards, and I wandered about and overhead the pens just to see the class of stock for sale. I must say I Rot a shock. The cattle were ill-bred and ill-fed, and

a mongrel lot generally The cows and heifers were equally unattractive, and one could not help thinking that it was no wonder that the average per-cow in Now Zealand was only 1601b of buttei'-fat when one saw them. Of course, there is an enormous demand for cows just now, for marly who find their income from wool is a disappearing quantity that even a few cows are a ffreat help to bring in a little ca«K Judging by those offered for sale in the yard, the returns 1 from the cows will not even yield the small average already noted."