THE FARMING OUTLOOK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19453, 8 October 1926, Page 13

THE FARMING OUTLOOK.

IMPROVEMENT OF DAIRY HERDS WAIKATO TESTING MOVEMENT the mark of a new era. PROFIT AND LOSS REVEALED. No. V. Herd-testing, which is now becoming, a general practice, is marking as great an epoch in the dairying industry as did the adoption of home separation. Home separation multiplied the area that could bo devoted to the industry; herd-testing is going to multiply the butter-fat yield. "Multiply" is not too strong a word. The present average yield per cow for the "Waikato, where the standard is a good deal higher than that for the whole of New Zealand, is round about 1801b. Yet there me herds yielding an average of more than double that figure, and experienced men confidently anticipate that they will eventually treble the 180! h. Hand-in-hand with the herd improvement move nieut is the improvement of pastures by top-dressing and the bettering of conditions for cows by providing ■shelter and fupplementary fodder, all of which tend to increase the yield of any cow. But jt is herd-testing that goes to the heart of the matter. The Weakness and the Strength. It is revealing the greatest leakage in tho industry and at the same time show-' ing to a public, to which the black side of farming has been so constantly patented, why the economic, foundation of the Auckland province, which is the dairying industry, is firm. It. is firm because 50 many farmers who feel no call to proclaim their success from the house-tops, nre averaging well over 3001b. of butterfat per cow and well over 2001b. per acre. The best herd averages far exceed 3001b., but the exceptionally high yields are not the mainstay of the province, just as the exceptionally low ones are not the measure of provincial prosperity. The real mainstay is the production of that large group of farmers who, by steady improvement of herds over a series of years, have exceeded the average and actually have established a new general standard. Herd-testing is not a new thing. Many men for a number of years prior tc the establishment of the herd-testing organisation of the Waikato, earned out their own testing and some, chiefly pedigree breeders, employed the much more costly method of testing some of their cows by the officials of the Dairv Division of the Department of Agriculture. Total ol 58,000 Cows Under Test. But the New Zealand Co-operative Herd Testing Association first started under the auspices of the Waikato Farmers' Union and developed, with the aid of the .New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, has m four years so extended its operations that last year it dealt with no fewer than 49 herd groups, comprising 1336 herds, the total number of cows systematically tested being 57,756. In the first year of the movement, the season of 1922-23, 157 herds in six groups, totalling 6900 cows, were tested; in the next the figures were, 630 herds, 25 groups and 31,003 cows, and in 1924-25, 1278 herds, 45 groups and 58,308 cows. It would be a good thing if every farmer and every business man in the Dominion would closely study the averages. Last year the average production of the 56,010 cows tested 100 days ami over was 232.021b. in 244 days. For the previous vear the average was 227.521b. in 238 days, and for 1923-24, 207.811b. in 237 days. Group averages last season ranged from 171.051b. in 232 days to 283.811b. in 260 days, the money return, based oil Is 6d a pound, being £l2 16s 6d per cow for the lowest' group and £2l 6s per cow for the highest. Leading Herd Averages 406*1b. The highest herd of all groups averaged 406.751 H. in 31.1 days, which at is 6d, gives a money return per cow of £3O 10s. No fewer than 33 of the herds which headed group figures gave a return of between 3001b. and 4001b. The production of the lowest herds in the groups ranged from 98.821b. m 194 days to 229.611b., but only one exceeded 2001b., 23 giving less than 1-501 b. The record individual cow gave 647.9011). in 299 days, worth at Is 6d, £4B 12s, and no fewer than 23 of the group champions exceeded 5001b. Tite range of returns of the lowest individual in each group was from 35.941b. in 188 days to 128.341b. in 182 days. Analysis of the individual cow figures shows that 93 gave up to 501b., 1589 from 511b. to 1001b., 6050 from 1011b. to 1501b., 12,267 from 1511b. to 2001b., 14,897 from 2011b. to 2501b., 11,321 from 2511b. to 3001b., 6299 from 3011b. to 3501b., 2504 from 3511b. to 3501b., 732 from 4011b. to 4501b., 201 from 4511b. to 5001b., 43 from 5011!'). to 5501b., 8 from 5511b. to 6001b., and 6 from 6011b. to 6501b. It i.s obvious that these illuminating figures must be a great incentive to farmers to eliminate the "scrub" bull and tiie "dud" cow, and to breed from butter-fat. strains Winning Farmers. One is indebted to the Dairy fanner for some facts as to the farms which are leading the industry to higher effort. The record herd, that of Mr. E. M. Andrews, of Onewhero, which averaged 406.751b., comprises 33 cows. The farm of 84 acres last year carried 71 bead of stock, including yearlings, two-year-olds and horses. Top-dressing and tho harrowing of pastures are routine work, adequate supplementary feed is supplied, and, of course, a very good sire is at the head of the herd. The herd of Mr. J. 0. Harvey, a returned soldier at Nara, Taupiri, which gave an average of nearly 393J1). in 279 days, numbers 29 head, and is carried on a farm of 76 acres, half of which has still to be effectively drained The owner top-dresses both in autumn and in spring, and ho aims at subdividing into paddocks of not more than four acres. Of course, adequate provision is made for supplementary feed. Under his own testing he ascertained that several cows were producing 3001b. and over, but no one wanted the calves from them as a gift. To-day he, with many others, can readily sell new-born calves from cows of this standard at £2 a head. Mr. J. L. Clarke, of Manawaru, obtained an average of 386.201b. of butterfat from his herd of 32 cows. It is another case -of a little farm well tilled. The area is 95 acres, of which gullies represent 20 acres. He top-dresses liberally, never over-stocks and feeds well in the winter. The owner of last year's champion producer is a returned soldier, Mr. A. W. Signal, of Tc Awamutu, who, on 50 acres, is milking a herd of 22 cows which averaged 376.021b. In seven years he has worked up production irom ,30921b. from 26 cows, an average of 1191b., to 82721b. from 22 cows. He top-dresses twice a year and "does" his stock well. He uses a well-bred sire, but has not a pedigree cow in his herd, the champion cow whose production was 647.9011). in 299 days being a grade Jersey, one of 12 heifers with which ho founded the herd.

Some of these fine achievements have been clone in the face of great financial difficulty, and thov prove that outstanding success is uot beyond the reach of the majority of dairy farmers. The highest acreage yield is credited tr> Mr. W. G. Cox, of Otaua, who took 2551b. of butter-fat an acre from 20 acres.