HERD-TESTING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18899, 27 June 1923, Page 5

HERD-TESTING.

MOVEMENT IN MARLBOROUGH. (Pm United Punas Association.) BLENHEIM, June 26. A sub-committee set up by a recent semipublic meeting in Blenheim to go into the matter of herd-testing has been active. It has had several meetings, and has obtained from tho various dairy factories lists of suppliers and tho approximate number of cows owned by each. The committee is now ready to start out on a campaign and will arrange group meetings at various centres at an early date. The project appears to be finding favour among dairy suppliers, and as each dairyman becomes acquainted with the details he is evincing a disposition to fall in with the movement. STATION AT LINCOLN COLLEGE. A GENEROUS OFFER. (Feom Our Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, June 26. For some years herd-testing has figured very prominently in dairying circles, but most of the progress in the matter has been left to tho North Island, though testing is indispensable to dairymen who wish to get ,the best out of their herds. An opportunity is now presented to the dairymen surrounding Lincoln College ot sotting up a station through the generosity of the Board ot Governors, who undertake to bear the initial expenses and until tho station becomes self-supporting. Testing will begin early in August. The conditions provide, inter alia, for the scheme to be worked on a co-operation basis. The payment will be the cost of the actual outlay, but a payment of 5s per cow is to be made at the beginning of the test. Accounts are to bo adjusted at the end of the year. The milk will be weighed once a week. The weights will be checked, and jf any discrepancy arises no further tests will be carried out and the owner will forfeit his deposit. The station will collect the test samples of the evening’s and morning’s milk at least five times a year, and will keep records of all the cows, showing the quantities of milk and cream per year, which information will be supplied at the end of tho peripd to the owners.