EIGHTEEN COWS TO THE ACRE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 15 August 1927, Page 9

EIGHTEEN COWS TO THE ACRE.

AN AUSTRALIAN CLAIM. AUCKLAND, Aug. 10. In view of the fact that a cow to the acre is regarded as a fair average i.i New Zealand farming circles, a claim made that in New South Wales by intensive farming methods eighteen ccws can be carried to the acre will occasion more than passing interest. One ■of the passengers by the Ulimaroa was Air. P. F. Farnwortli, formerly a member of the New Zealand Police Force, who for some years was engaged in fanning in the Wanganui district. He has .fust completed an extensive tour of Australia and explained that the town supply of milk in several inland ci litres was dependent upon close cultivation and intensive farming methods. lie came across a specific instance of the success of a scheme where the average was somewhat of -l record, eighteen cows being carried to the acre. This was made possible by n ason of the fact that the animals had a speeial diet of brewers’ grain, lucerne hay and linseed oil cakes. The [laml was devoid of growth. Air. Farmvorth had a vision of settling on the land in Australia, but, after what, he saw, to use his own words, lie would not dream of taking up farming there. They complained of paucity of growth in the King Country, but, the land there was remarkablj fertile compared with some he had si ( ii in the course of Lis tour. The New Zealand record for intensive farming is claimed for the Waverlev district in South Taranaki, where, whoii the A 1 oiimahnki State Farm was in full swing, twelve grown sheep to t)i acre were carried all the year round. This was made possible by the cultivation of lucerne and feeding the animals in different areas in rotation. Had additional feed to the pastures been provided, the average head per acre could have been increased, and to the New Zealand way of thinking the New South Wales claim savours more of the stockyard than the open paddock. ________