A SPLENDID AVERAGE

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6735, 11 October 1928, Page 10

A SPLENDID AVERAGE

305L8. FAT FEOM 82 COWS. \ - 1 Mr L. E. Harm, of Skinner Eoad, Stratford, has just received continuation of his success in winning the butter-fat competition inaugurated by the New Zealand Exporter for large herds. Mr Hann’s herd reached the high average of 3051 b. of fat per cow. In connection with the meritorious performance of the herd, the promoters of the competition say; “It is obvious that such a record entails careful planning of farm work, and Mr Hann is testing his herd and using purebred bulls. His farm consists of about 200 acres of flat land in the Stratford district, formerly covered by heavy bush. About half the area has teen stumped, ploughed and resown in grass with a mixture of English rye and cocksfoot, timothy, cowgrass, alsyke and white clover, the remainder being drained, while a pine swamp is in a fairly rough state. Despite its roughness, this portion of the farm grows good feed through the greater part of the year, top-dressing being done by hand on the area, “In breaking in his new land, Mr Hann ploughs about November, drilling in swedes before Christmas. The season after the crop is fed ho ploughs again, sowing Oats and peas for hay. This crop is harvested about the middle of February, when Mr Hann ploughs again, sowing down his grass mixture with the addition of two bushels of Algerian oats. “He has found that, if fed off lightly before the winter, these do not hurt the grass or clover, but provide a volume of green stuff about the calving season. He top-dresses regularly with basic slag, and in grassing out his paddocks uses 3cwt. of green bone manure and lewt. of superphosphate.

"Mr Hann is a linn believer ia heading his herd with a good bull. He is using cross-bred cows and a purebred Jersey bull bred by Mr John Hale. The herd is wintered on swedes and hay, and for a week before calving the cows arc turned on to grass that has been closed up during the winter. No autumn feed is grown, and so far ho has not attempted the feeding of concentrates.

His butter-fat returns month by month last season were: July, 53.21 b; August, 480.11 b.; September, 2492.11 b.; October, 3375.81 b; November, 37681 b.; December, 3675.21 b; January, 3270.91 b; February, 2442„11b; March, 2387.31 b.; April, 1619.21 b:- May, 1072.81 b; June, 393.41 b.; total 25.0301 b, fat.” In the annual butter-fat competition organised by the Toko Settlers’ Association, open to any farmer in the district irrespective of the size of his herd, Mr Haim came second during the season 1925-26 with an average of 275 lb. fat per cow, and second for the season 1926-27 with the improved average of 3141 b. The winner of both these competitions, Mr K. S. Death, had a herd only half the size of Mr Hann’s. During the season just closed the Settlers’ Association did not hold the competition, but Mr Harm's average in the Exporter’s competition was 3051 b. fat per cow.