HERD-TESTING

Taranaki Daily News, 29 July 1929, Page 15

HERD-TESTING

ADDRESS GIVEN AT INGLEWOOD.

ORGANISING COMMITTEE SET UP.

The annual meeting of the Kaimata and Moa herd-testing groups was held in the parish hall, Inglewood, on Saturday. Mr. J. Dobson presided over nearly 30 farmers. Messrs. G. H. Bell (president) and Mr. H. Baily (secretary) of the Taranaki Herd Testing Association, officially attended the meeting. The committee had met twice during the rear, stated the annual report of the Kaimata group, once to consider the appointment of a tester, and the second time to deal with a complaint from the manager regarding the lateness of the testin’* officer in getting to the factory. The committee had circularised each member requesting that the tester be enabled to get away as early as possible, as the steam had to be kept up for the tester alone. There had been no complaint since. The group consisting of 1192 cows had o-iven an average of 274.41b5. butter-fat fn 269 days, being third out of the 13 croups in the Taranaki association. The highest testing herd in the Taranaki association during tho past season. had been found in the Kaimata group. This herd Mr. F. Bracegirdle’s, had an average of 393.721 b. fat for 47. cows in 283 days, showing what could be achieved by careful feeding and testing. The committee congratulated Mr. Taylor, of the Moa group, on the fine performance of one of his cows which gave the excellent return of 6371 b. fat in 312 days. The report concluded by thanking Mr. Scott, testing officer, for his efficiency and attention to duty. Mr. Dobson presented an analysis of tho returns of the 1201 cows tested in the Kaimata group as follows: Ten cows <mve between 50 to 100 lbs fat per annum, 47 gave 1-00 to 150 lbs; 142 gave 150 to 200 lbs; 239 gave 200 to 2501b5; 330 gave 250 to 3001bs; 220 gave 300 .to 3501b5; 125 gave 350 to 400 lbs; 58 gave 400 to 450 lbs; 26 gave 450 to 500 lbs; and 4 coavs gave 500 to 550 lbs fat. Mr. Dobson congratulated the group on tho fine results obtained. He hoped the valuable work would continue and that more support would come to the group from the Tariki and Matekawa districts The report was adopted.

Mr. Bell congratulated the Kaimata •group on its record. He stressed the value of the Taranaki association’s work and believed that its results were a good deal higher than those of any other reuistered association in the Dominion today.

In the past season the association had increased from 9 to 13 groups. The organisation and equipment of the groups had rtieen expensive. It had cost £2OO, he said, to buy the plant for the extra groups, more testers had to be engaged, and extra wages had to be paid. A Government subsidy had been granted in recent years but had not proved very satisfactory. In the first place the money had not been available at the time it was most needed and, secondly, stringent departmental regulations had been laid down, with which the association had to promise to comply before it could obtain the use of money. The association had had to guarantee to return to members the subsidy the Government'gave it within one month of the time of the grant. Strong representations had been made, resulting in a conference in Wellington and the setting up of an official board comprising Messrs. Fulton, Herron, Hill and Bell from the Herd Testing Federation, Dr. Reakes, Mr. Singleton and Professor Ridett. This board had been successful in removing the'restrictions regarding the subsidy, and now the subsidy did not have to be returned to members until October 20 each year. The federation was steadily growing, the registered associations now being 21 as against only 10 or 12 at this time last year. In the past the growth of the federation had been retarded through lack of consideration from the Government.

A difficulty had faced the Taranaki association, said Mr. Bell, in testing small herds at 5s per cow. The association had been able so far to carry on but each year more herds were being divided into tivo for convenience, often remaining under the same ownership. With the increase of the difficulty it now appeared the only solution was the system of testing by the official tester ou alternate months. In addition, the executive considered that ; the charges should be revised to £5 per herd and 3s pei’ cow. Mr. Bell presented a summary of results of tests of the 15,892 cows during the past season by the Taranaki association as follows: 22 cows produced l-50Ibs fat per annum; 263 produced 50lOOlbs; 1957 produced 150-2001bs; 3558 produced 200-2501b5; 4294 pi'oduced 2503001bs; 3068 produced 300-3501b5; 1433 produced 350-4001bs; 401 produced 4004501b5; 99 produced 450-5001bs; 18 produced 500-5501b5; 3 produced 550-6001bs; 1 produced 600-6501b5. Altogether, 10,000 cows produced between 200 to 300 lbs fat per annum. A vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Bell for his address. The following were set up as an organising committee for the district: — Messrs. W. H. Stephens (Maketawa), E. J. Clough (Inglew’ood), F. Bracegirdle (Kaimata), A. H. Taylor (Kahniro), W. W. Thorby (Kaimata).