HOW TO BREED

New Zealand Mail, 22 January 1902, Page 54

HOW TO BREED

There is no question affecting the dairy industry of such importance as tiiat of increasing the profit in dairying by means of breeding and selection. The wonderful increase in milk production attending the improvement of breed is not a matter of theory, but a fact established by experience. Even in this oolony notable examples exist of remarkable development in milk production due entirely to breeding from proved milking strains of cattle. Unfortunately'. the great majority of dairymen know nothing of these experiences, and the business of milk production is consequently carried on with little general improvement. What is required is the supplying of the necessary information to the dairy farmers of the colony, so that they will have something authentic upon which to found a reformation in the present methods of building up their herds. The best means of supplying this information would be by means of dairy stock instructors. It is not suggested that separate officials should be appointed, but that special qualifications in this direction should be required of dairy inspectors whenever they may be appointed. So far the idea in appointing dairy inspectors is, apparently', to see that dairy' farm premises are in a sanitary condition, that the milk is properly' cared for, and that milking operations are being carried out in a cleanly manner. The work of a dairy inspector, however, cannot be as successful as it should unless instruction is combined with the inspection, and the most satisfactory inspection work which has already been done in the colony lias been in this direction. It does not necessarily follow that an inspector is required to coerce on every occasion on which he visits a farm; a coercion should only be required when a man absolutely refuses to follow the advice of the inspector. The latter, however, should be armed with all possible information as to improved dairying methods. Given that dairying inspection in the colony, which it is expected will be shortly properly established, will bring the quality of the milk up to the required standard and generally improve the conditions under which the industry is carried on.