BUTTER TESTS AND MILKING TRIALS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2287, 30 December 1897, Page 4

BUTTER TESTS AND MILKING TRIALS.

LONDON DAIRY SHOW.

It is now generally recognised fchab of all the departments of the London annual Dairy Show the various competitions instituted by the British Dairy-farmers' Association with the object of teiting the actual utilitarian qualities of the ciws^subjected to the milk- and butter lesls excite the most geueral and widespread interest. The great interest aroused by these contests is due maiiily to the fact that the results obtained and classified by the judges furnish useful ds^ta on which to form an idea of the comparative merits of the several breeds as producers of the principal dairy products. If; is often argued that the results of these trials miy te misleading 1 , since the temporary new conditions and surroundings may not affect all of the competing animals alike ; but it may bo taken for granted that, of placid disposition naturally and accustomed to much handling, ,lheir composure would be but little affected by (heir journey to and surroundings of the showyard. They all, however, were subject to the

skrnz ordeal, and so their public performance* may be regarded as sufficiently r« liable to afford a criterion of their abilities. The butter tosts, being calculated on tho milk * yielded in one day only, were first decided, and though not up to the best records of last and some oMier yeais, the performances on the whole were considered creditable. The following were the chief awards and achievements in the butter tests :—

It is deserving of especial note by dairyfarmers iv the colony that the representative* of the general-purpose shorthorn emerged from the ordr al with such di3tit;c'ion. One of rha farted give the heaviest yield of butter obt&iued fivim an animal of any distinct Lreed, while other two surpassed all other breeds or crosses in the weight yielded. The popular Jersey sho gave a good account of itself, and maintained its well-earned reputation fo*r the production of butlei*. Th-.' awards in the milking trials were Calculated oa the performances duriug two days, tho quality as well as the quautifcy of milk yielded being duly considered and plnrvd to the credit of the competing animal. P. opsr allowance was also road 11 for the length of time the cow wss in milk since she produced her laab caH". The following tab'.e shown the principal prizo-winuers aud the number of points gained by each :—: —

Here again the shorthorns distinguished themselves by beaiiog decUively all ih"ir rivals. Ife is remarked of the winner of the first; prize : " The success oE Mr Evens's very prohty red cow Prifit in winning Mr Titus Barbara's challenge cup, open to all breeds and crosfes, was thoroughly merited, for she bdougs to a type unfortunately too rare in the country. " The Channel Itlancl breeds performed creditably, especially tfce "Jerseys. Only one of tlie Guernseys scored over 100 points, however. The records for the red polls have not enhanced their reputation. They milked heayily enough, two or them giving about 601b each per day, but; the milk was surprising defective in quality. Both the aDimals alluded to, one of which wa3 the w inner of the first prize for the breed, 1036 10 points on account of their morning's milk containing less than the standard 3 per c?nt. of fat. The Ayrshires fully upheld their reputation by satisfactory records of well-balanced yields. Tte traall Irish breeds gave ample proof of their dairy qualities. The record of the little Dexter-Kerry was a notable one : 127 days in milk, sbegave33'llb daily ; fat in morning's milk, 5 - 29 ; fat in evening's milk, 5 59 ; total solids, 13 66 and 1388. The cross breeds milked heavily, but their milk was somewhat defective.

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