HERD TESTING.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 7 October 1922, Page 3

HERD TESTING.

An interesting summary of the work of the Association Dairy Herd Testing is given in the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture for August. The difficult times and the need for increased production have caused, says the Director, more cows to be under test, no less than fifty associations being controlled by the Department. The number of cows increased from 15,480 in 1921 to 21,087 in 1922, and the average yield of butter-fat increased from 210.921b to 240.331b. The highest association average was 385.491b, the lowest 158 051b; the highest herd 514.701b, the lowest herd 631b: the highest and lowest cow, ,760,721b and 40.621b. In a statement to a Poverty Bay Herald reporter in connection with heixl-testing carried out by him in that district Mr. G. Beatsbn, of the AgricultuTal Department, mentioned that with a view to arriving at the cost of producing butter-fat on the farm, a number of progressive farmers in, that district had submitted their actual returns for the season 1920 to 1921. After taking into consideration all charges.; including^ interest on capital invested. depreciation. current rates for neoessary labour, seeds, manures, etc., and" total receipts, it was found that the average cost was over two shillings pcr r lb. One of the means of lowering this cost of production, he added, was by eliminating the poor producers from the herds and breeding on up-to-date lines.