DAIRY HERD IMPROVEMENT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 15 October 1927, Page 14

DAIRY HERD IMPROVEMENT.

REDUCING- PRODUCTION COSTS. Very sound advice was given to a meeting qf farmers at the Melbourne Royal Show by the 'Minister of Agriculture some days ago. lie emphasised the need of every farmer adopting only the best methods of production. "The Ministry is spending between £II,OOO and £12,0'00 annually on herdtesting, and it is satisfactory to know that this practice is rapidly extending, said the Minister. There are now Co herd-testing associations in operation, and four addition associations are about to be formed. lu many associations there has been an average increase in the butter-fat production of a cow of more than 801 b a year. The production of individual herds has increased from 1351 b to 3871 b, aiul several grade herds have averaged more than 4001 b of butter-fat a cow. Ac Rochester a grade herd averaged 4251 b of butter-fat, equal to a return of £3l/17/0 a cow.”

Mr. Slater emphasised the importance of the improvement of pastures. This was perhaps one of the most feasible methods by which dairy farmers could increase the output of their forms and decrease the costs of production. Over the greater part of the State pastures had been allowed to deteriorate. Overstocking and the continual removal of plant foods from the soil in the annual production of milk butter-fat, wool, and fat stock had resulted in depleted soil fertility. While other countries had been playing much attention to pasture improvement, there could be little doubt that that question had not received from dairy farmers in Australia the attention it deserved. In New Zealand 16,000,000 acres were sown with introduced grasses, while less than 5,000,000 acres oC similar grasses had been sown throughout Australia. By the adoption of topdressing pasture improvement might be effected without any heavv increase in overhead charges. It will bo of interest to note that the Minister has been considering the cn estion of a Dairying College and said that their main difficulty would be that of getting sufficient students.