IMPROVING THE HERDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19960, 31 May 1928, Page 13

IMPROVING THE HERDS.

GREAT VALUE OF TESTING. WORK IN SOUTH AUCKLAND. ANOTHER STEP TOWARD UNITY. [by telegraph.—special reporter.] HAMILTON. Wednesday A further step toward the unification of herd testing in the South Auckland district was taken at a meeting of representatives of co-operative dairy companies when a resolution in favour of one testing organisation for the whole district was carried unanimously. Mr. Dynes Fulton, chairman of directors of the New Zealand Co-operative Herd Testing Association, by which the meeting was convened, presided. Mr. Fulton recalled earlier conferences which had been held in an endeavour to unify herd testing in South Auckland. He mentioned that the association, of which he was chairman and which wasi formed in the 1923-24 season, was nowtesting about 70,000 cows, or two-thirds of the total number under test in the Dominion. In the district there still existed two other herd testing organisations, but since the interests of all dairy farmers were identical in herd testing, and because of obvious economic and other reasons, including the prevention of overlapping in work, it was patent that one organisation for the whole of South Auckland was desirable. Subsidy From Government. The New Zealand Association, he said, had been instrumental in- securing from the Government a subsidy of £3OOO this season toward herd testing all over the Dominion, and was now making efforts to have it increased. Replying to a question, the chairman said the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Ltd., which had guaranteed the finance of the New Zealand Testing Association to the extent of about £7OOO, had no desire to dominate the organisation, and would willingly reduce its representation on the board provided factories generally linked up in the one testing organisation and shared the financial responsibility pro rata. Mr. C. M. Hume, general manager of the New Zealand Testing Association, said: " As I see the position, herd testing has become a vital adjunct to the dairy industry." He quoted the records of the association to show the great improvement in yield per cow effected in the short time it had been in operation. He cited, too, the case of an individual farmer who in five years by testing, had increased the yield of his cows from 1301b. to 2841b. of butter-fat per cow. The Call-Marking Scheme. Mr. Hume strongly emphasised the value of the calf-marking scheme inaugurated by the New Zealand Testing Association, saying it preserved for the industry the calves of high yielding cows, and that was the most potent factor in the profitable expansion of the industry and guarded against a man buying dairy stock in the dark. Regarding bulls, he said \t was nonsense for any farmer to say he could not afford a pedigree animal, for pedigree bulls up to a week old cotild be bought for £5 to £lO. Admittedly, they should be sold with a buttar-fat backing, and factories should finance suppliers purchasing high grade bullsj as some factories did now. But if all herds were headed by a pedigree bull the average butter-fat yield in the Waikato would in three years or so' be increased by 501b. to 601b. In the course of discussion, speakers complimented the New Zealand Co-opera-tive Dairy Company upon the manner in which it had fostered and financed the New Zealand Co-operative" Herd Testing Association for the great good of the industry.