DAIRY CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 5310, 23 June 1904, Page 3

DAIRY CONFERENCE.

SESSION. r’,■ I>o HTAXY Q!' ICSIICX S DlSt'l'b.Sl'.D. ;!"y Special ItoporLor.) PALM EIISTO’N, 'AVlnesdny. Tim Dairy Conference opened iU smtion thin morning. Tlio vroalhor was glorious, amt thero v.aus a very hitf-'. O al~ tondancra of dairynmn and others m'.ia-r-slotl in tho dairying industry. Mr J. r. Foreman tprohlont oi llm National Dairy Association) occupied the cliair. -A MKXACM TO TUK DAIIII’ IXDVSTRV.”' This was lira title of a lecture given by Mr J. A. Gilnith, M. I’.C'.V .S., Cnief Government Veterinarian. on tho subject of inn-ittmitis, or contagious infl.unrnation of tlm udder in cows. Jin pointed out tliat the presence of tins disease in tlio colony was brought under his notice only a year ago by an inspector ol tba Veterinary Department m tlm South Island. Since then a great minibor of cases bad been discovered in both inlands. There was a considerable amount of tlio -o on iho W ost Toast of tho North Island, also m Canterbury and Otago. In tho majority of nstvi it only affected Hie animals to slightly as to bo scarcely perceptible, hut in some instances it caused suppuration and even death. Ho described (bo symptoms and characteristics of tlm disease in its different stages, one of which was tho tendency of tho milk to coagulate. He had always found groat difficulty in getting dairy farmers to report tho disease, as they seemed to imagine* that doing sn would involve tho .slaughter of the animals or other serious trouble. Tins idea ho wished to repudiate on tho part of the Veterinary Department. Ho pointed out tho danger to tho general public through using tho milk of cow.s allotted with tho disease. It had been found to cause an affection of the throat similar to diphtheria in some ease-', also abscesses and erysipelas. He recommended a solution of boracic acid for cows affected, compulsory notification of diseases of the udder.*'the registration of dairy herds, periodic and frequent Inspection. Inspectors should ho appointed in each district who could be'maintained by tho dairy farmers contributing so much per cow. He also advocated compulsory pasteurisation of milk at factories, and dwelt upon the danger to tho dairy industry if bacteriologists at Homo isolated germs in our produce. It was resolved on tho motion of Mr J. G. Harkness—“That tho executive of tho National Hairy Association a committee with power to add to its numbers for the, purpose of considering tlio proposals made by Hr Gilnith and reporting to tho coniercno©. ,, A hearty vote of thanks was tendered to Hr Gilruth for his address. MILK TESTING.

Mr TV. Dempster contributed a paper on “Alilk Testing as it Affects the Dairyman and Factory Manager.” In the course of his paper the lecturer pointed out mat there was no more interesting subject either to the factory manager or milk producer. The question of how many gallons of milk your cows were giving was tho question asked when two dairy farmers met at tho time when factories first started in New Zealand, and when the cream tost was tho only test in use. Quality was not then taken into consideration at nil. tho farmer with the rich milk getting no more for his gallon than tho man with tho poor milk. However, some twelve or thirteen years ago tho Babcock test was introduced, and had since worked quite a revolution in tho dairy business, although some time elapsed before it was adopted ns a means lor determining tho commercial value of milk, it being simply used as a chock for fraudulent practices. Taking tho average herd in any district, he was quite sure that 20 per cent, of tho cows were not paying for tho food they consumed . He advised every farmer to have a sot of scales and a testing machine, and thus find out what each cow produced. A farmer could also test a composite sample against the factory manager. When comparing herds, dairymen should not bo discouraged if their neighbours had a higher daily average, as a herd might give a large quantity of milk for three months or so and then fall away. He thought it was time tho dairymen of. Now Zealand knew how much moisture their butter contained, for if they could add 3 or 4 per cent, more moisture and still get the same price per cwt., it would be a big item for the colonyr Danish butter was said to contain more moisture than New Zealand butter, yet it always brought a higher price. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr Dempster for his paper, and it was ordered that it should bo printed and circulated at the expense of the conference. ENSILAGE MAKING AND FEEDING.

Mr G. C. Gebbio, of Te Eoti, Taranaki, read a paper on “Ensilage Making and Feeding.” Ensilage, ho said, was the system of preserving green fodder by building into stacks or silos and preventing decomposition by pressure which excludes the air. If pressure was put on immediately, the result was sour ensilage, but should pressure bo not put on for a time sweet ensilage was formed. The economical feeding of our herds was becoming a necessity on account of the rising price of land and labour. America was the home of the silo, but there special crops were grown for ensiling, notably maize. To make a stack of ensilage with a minimum of waste, it was necessary that a plot of about ten acres of a good grass crop should be available, and if possible some mechanical appliances should bo erected to enable the stack to reach as near twenty feet in height as practicable, for the bulk in height acts as a cheap agent in protecting the stack from excessive fermentation. The grass should be crooner at cutting than if required for hay, as if it is loft too near the ripening stage the ensilage produced would be found to be more or less charred in its manufacture. The site should be selected near the centre of the plot to save unnecessary haulage. Cut out a square about two acres in extent to give sufficient room to work about the stack. The grass might bo allowed to wither a little in the sun before carting in. Whilst this was being done, any mechanical contrivance for hoisting could be erected, and the bottom of the stack outlined with a circle twen-ty-one feet in diameter. In stacking it was wise not to exceed in height the breadth of the stack, which should not lean too much. Poles should bo kept handy for this purpose. As soon as carting started on the plot already cut round the stack, the mower should he -started to cut out a square from three ■to four acres, and with a full gang of ■men would bo kept fairly busy. 'The ,-ipeakor recommended using sledges.

with wheels attached to the back for bringing tlio cut grass. From 8 to 10 ev.t. can by these mean-; be hauled in. The load was built on a sling spread lengthways on the Hedge, ami when a height or ibirty inches had been built, ;t .second sling should ho put rn. At ibe r-tack each shut'- was pulled oft separately. Tlio <4-ml: should not be any biMicr 11 tno middle i ban at iho side-., and rolls of green M-nft- .-houl-l not be allowed <o remain intact, hut loused out and evenly spread. A staunch, reliable lior-o. together with a stout, broad belly-band, diould he used in hauling up- 4 A stack up to 12 or lift might bo built by forking the same as in hay. but it, would got much hotter, and shrink more than if built, by machinery. The reason wars that in tho latter case ail lo.uU wore dropped on the stack from a height, and automatically pressed the slack, and drove out the air. thus preventing rapid fermontation. Another method of building was by moans of an inclined piano drawing tlio load right on . to tho stack, and driving oft at (lie opposite end. In this case a rectangular stack was built, and could seldom attain a height much over 14ft, but it had tho advantage of being continuaßy pressed by horses and sledges passing repeatedly over tho stack. The work was found to be very heavy for tho horses in this case. For tho first two days tho stack would appear to rise too rapidly in height, but in about thirty-six hours heat would be generated, and by continuing work the stack would not longir rise in tlio same proportion as at first. Earth or other pressure should be at once applied as soon as the grass is in stack. It was better to keep plenty of weight on when building, otherwise tho ensilage will bo too sweet, us well as charred in appearance, and stock will not like it. Sour ensilage is perfectly wholesome, but lacks a little tho feeding properties of tho sweet. The depth ol onrth covering tho stack'should bo from nine to twelve inches, and placed as near tho edge as possible, so as to cause the sides of the stack to sink and provide a water-shed. After tho stack has been pressed a month it will bo fit for use and for several years there will be little change in its composition. Always cut the stack on the most sheltered side, and so lessen the loss by exposure. For dairy cattle cabbages or kale appear tho only crops to compare favourably in cost of growing to ensilage. Ah weeds, such as docks, thistles, fat hen. etc., will make ensilage of a more or less good quality, but the best can only bo made from the best foodstuffs. The speaker then wont on to show the value of ensilage as u food in comparison with hay, mangolds, cabbages, swedes and turnips. Two tons of ensilage will keep a cow four months with a, little heln from the pastures. In Taranaki there is always a surplus of grass in the early summer months and it can bo rendered to good account later on in the form of ensilage. The latter has two very practical advantages over hay, first in preventing weeds from seeding, and. secondly, in converting a certain proportion of weeds into a more or less palatable food. Under such favourable climatic conditions in Now Zealand, it was not necessary to adopt the silo, which is used extensively in America on account of the rigour of the climate. The Hoi-stcin-Friesian Association. U.S.A., gives the following prices for every ton cf production:—Ensilage 8s 4d. hay 3Ts 4d mangolds 6s 3d, carrots 16s 4d. cabbages, 10s od. prices which are greatly in cxce s of the cost hero.

A vote of thanks was passed to the lecturer.