FARMING NOTES.

Patea Mail, Volume XXIX, 13 December 1907, Page 2

FARMING NOTES.

DAIRY FARMING IN DENMARK

Mr Lassen, of Bunnythorpe, who has just returned from a trip to his native country, Denmark, in the course of an interview with a representative of the Feilding Btsr, supplies much information which will be of interest to dairy farmers in this district.. In answer to the inquiry as to how Danish farmers made the dairying industry pay, Mr Lassen said that the actual production of butter did not pay at all, as the expense of feeding the cows was so heavy—it was the byproducts the money was made out of, such as the fattening of pigs and calves, and the sale of beef. Mr Lassen was fortunate in having a brother who owned a farm, which was worked by a nephew, and it was through him that he was able to gain information as to the working of the land and the profits made. In regard to the factories, he was surprised to find that although in respects they were ahead cf those in the colony, in regard to labor-saving machinery, they were much behind, but they were fortunate in being able to obtain plenty of cheap labor. A factory which would employ two hands out here would be worked in Denmark with five—two men and three women —and the total wages would be about the same. Then factories were established there for a comparatively small supply of milk ; in fact, what would be sufficient milk for a creamery out here would result in the starting of a factory in Denmark; The testing there is being done in quite a different method to that in the colony. The Babcock tester has been thrown out as out of date, and a method adopted by which 200 teats can he taken at one time. The milk is taken out of the cans and the test made immediately. By the method adopted, the manager has no idea of whose milk he is testing the record being kept by two suppliers, and by a simple mechanical device the test is registered as the butter-fat is measured. Tbo test is made at odd times about four times a month, and there is no fear of advantage being taken of its infrequency, as a supplier who waters his milk is debarred from sending milk to any factory in the country by a penalty heavy enough to ensure honesty. A. system of carting the milk to a factory by contract is adopted. This is necessary, as numbers of suppliers only milk two or three cows, and the factory carts call at each place for the milk to take it to the factory, thus minimising the expense. Pasteurisation of the milk is compulsory, and it has proved very beneficial in raising the standard of the butter. A great drawback in the dairying industry is the cost of housing and feeding the cattle. For at least nine months of the year they have to be fed inside, the principal food being oat« cakes, mangels, and a root something like kohl rabbi. A friend of his told him that it cost him £5 last year for oatcake alone per cow. He said that it had been nine months winter and throe months “ not summer.” The farmers arrange that the cows coma into profit at the beginning of winter —equivalent to our spring—and so they are able to get the dearest market in England. In many p'ulgs the factories only made scwt. of butter a day, while a Iscwt. factory was looked on as a big concern. Mr Lassen showed us a couple of balance-sheets of butter factories, from which we gathered that they had netted Is 2d and Is 2£d per lb. for their butter. It was quite a common thing for a supplier to take 701 b of skim milk and 201 b of butter* milk, instead of 901 b of skim-milk—-the skim-milk left being made up into a kind of cheese, which sold for 2£d a lb in Germany. The breed of cows used were mainly two kinds—Holland cows of a yellow and white or dirty black color, very much like Holsteins; and a Danish red cow. They were large beasts, giving good milk and selling well as beef when their milking days were done. Although he saw Jerseys at a show, the farmers would not have them at any price, as they yield too little beef,

When Mr Lassen told his folk h© had killed 50 calves directly they were calved on his Bunnythorpe farm last year, he was looked upon as a romancist of a very high order. And this will be understood when it is seen how profitable a thing calf-rearing is in Denmark. He showed us account sales of some calves which had been sold by his nephew. They were calved on 4th March last and purchased by him on 14th March for £1 13s. He fed them on sweet milk and skim-milk pasteurised at the factory and then boiled, with a handful of wheatmeal in it. On the 28th May he had them sold at Hambourg on a poor market for £6, less 6s ICd charges for marketing, freight, etc. It was a regular practice to fatten up the calves for the market, and prices ranged according to the papers shown us, from 109 s for prime to 72s for poor quality. But seriously speaking, Mr Lassen considers it would be a good thing to fatten up some calves and send a trial shipment of frozen veal Home. He believes that there is a good outlet at a high price for veal.

Mr Lassen did not think that the yield of the milch cow was so good on the average as in this colony. In fact, he thought that the breed of cows out here was, as a rule, superior for milking purposes to those they used in Denmark. One feature he thought a great deal of was the combination amongst the factories to produce a good article. They used one common depot for their butter, and worked together in many ways which did not seem to be dreamt of in this colony. He found that generally the farmers were better off than when he left a little mors than a score of years ago, although very many would be glad to come out if they had the means.