DEMONSTRATION FARM.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 27 November 1925, Page 4

DEMONSTRATION FARM.

RESULTS AT STRATFORD. HON. R. F. BOLLARD PLEASED. Reference was made by the Hon. R. F. Bollard at Stratford yesterday to the excellent work done at the Stratford Demonstration Farm. It was agreed, he said, that the results obtained could be considered as applyiiig_ to a large part of the district surrounding. The results from the dairy herd, after seven years’ working, must be considered very satisfactory. An increase in butter-fat production per cow of 1061 b, from '221 lb to 3271 b, had been shown, and the yield per acre had been almost doubled. The main reasons for the increases could be put down as follows : (a) Use of heifers bred on the farm, and (b) better feeding. But more important was the latter, and this was made possible by putting down good pastures and keeping them systematically top-dressed, and by the growing of ample supplementary fodders for autumn and winter feed, so that the cows could always be fed to the maximum. ‘lf the increase stated could be achieved all over Taranaki with its 200,000 cows, the resultant increase in wealth from the soil could be estimated. Even if only half were secured it would mean an addition to the wealth of Taranaki of nearly three, quarters of a million, sterling.