TESTING PRODUCTION

Taranaki Daily News, 25 May 1934, Page 8

TESTING PRODUCTION

DISCREPANCY IN FIGURES. WAIMATE WEST VARIATION. The discrepancy between the butterfat paid foi- by the dairy company and the South Taranaki Herd Testing Association's return of the production of the Waimate West Demonstration Farm was explained by the secretary of the association, Mr. E. M. Bardsley, in an interview with the Daily News yesterday. Any discrepancy was not due to errors on the part of the association or the factory, he said. At the demonstration farm committee meeting it was pointed out that according to the association 60001 b. more butterfat had been produced than had been received at the factory. “In the demonstration farm figures the variation, certainly is above normal, said Mr. Bardsley, “though the actual variation on the 61 cows is less than the committee’s report indicates when calf and other milk retained on the farm is taken into account.” He had not seen the daily milk returns as supplied to the factory, but felt sure that, as had happened in similar cases, the explanation for variation would be apparent from these.

The cows were tested by the association once in every 30 days. Various conditions, such as weather, feeding and the physical condition of the cows on the day of the test would readily give a figure that was too high or too low to reflect absolutely precisely the production for the whole 30 days. Generally, the difference between association and factory figures could be reckoned as within 5 per cent, either way. Many cases could be quoted of less than 1 per cent, difference.

Undoubtedly large variations did occur, stated Mr. Bardsley, and while the association was happy to keep within reasonable distance of the factory it was actually not concerned with the comparison at all, except where calves were to be marked, when the variation must not be too large. The point was that even in extreme cases the association’s returns always gave an accurate comparison. The best cow was always the best cow and the worst cow the worst, and this was an accurate basis for breeding or culling. PERSONAL ITEMS. Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Bailey, who have been the guests of Mr. and Mrs. V. H. Hobday, Manaia, have returned to Auckland. Mr. Bailey has been appointed coadjutor at the forthcoming competitions at Dunedin in August. Mr. S. King, Ketemarae Road, who was gored by a boar on Wednesday, is in a private hospital at Hawera. Miss Joan Tonks, Hawera, has taken up a teaching position in the North Auckland district.

The 85th, birthday of Mr. D. Johnstone, a veteran of the Maori wars in Taranaki and a settler of the Hawera district in 1870, was celebrated on Sunday at the residence of his son-in-law, Mr, W. McMillan, near Dannevirke. Mr. Johnstone, who is an uncle of ■■ Mr. J. Johnstone, Vogel Street, Hawera, was bom in Fifeshire, Scotland, and came to New Zealand in 1865. The following year he was present at the battle of Omaranui, some miles from Napier, and subsequently saw service in Taranaki until 1870, when hostilities ceased.. He turned his attention to farming and leased 1000 acres of land near Hawera at Is per acre for the first year, 2s for the second and 3s per acre for the third year. When dairying became firmly established this land afterwards changed hands at a price in the vicinity of £lOO an acre. Mr. Johnstone disposed of his leasehold early, however, to become licensee of the Ketemarae Hotel. Later he moved to hotels in the Poverty Bay and Bay of Plenty districts before settling on the land again at Dannevirke. Mr. Johnstone, who still enjoys good health, was a visitor to Hawera for the borough jubilee. HAWERA MEN’S GOLF CLUB. ANDERSON CUP QUALIFYING. The second qualifying round of the Anderson Cup will be played by members of the Hawera Golf Club to-mor-row. The draw is as follows: 12.15 p.m., Whitehead, Lawn, Thompson; 12.20, ladies; 12.25, ladies; 12.30, Anderson, Tonks, Jones; 12.35, Bull, Dunlop, Baigent; 12.40, Hay-Mackenzie, Pratt, Sandford; 12.45, Sagar, Cambie, Horner; 12.50, Braithwaite, Jordan, Lennon; 12.55, Potter, W. O. Williams, North; 1 p.m., Wake, G. W. Williams, Sturrock; 1.5, Stead, Coleman, Hill; 1.10, Fry, Meuli, McDonald; 1.15, Elliott, McAnerin, Caselberg; 1.20, Vinnicombe, Bright, Slater; 1.25, Gibson, Harrison, A. Sagar; 1.30, Ogle, Gilligan, D. C. Ryan; 1.35, Tennent, Chisholm, Walkley; 1.40, Ritchie, Giblin, G. H. Ryan; 1.45, J. Tarrant, N. Lewes, Hulbert; 1.50, ladies; 1.55, Fountaine, A. F. Tarrant, Wames; 2, Fletcher, Lloyd, Maunder; 2.5, Thrush, Fossey, Claringbold and Douglas; 2.10, W. W. Gibson, Fyson, Young and J. Dash; 2.15, ladies. TE NGUTU GOLF CLUB. LADIES’ BOGEY MATCH. The result of the Te Ngutu Ladies’ Golf Club bogey competition on Wednesday was: Mrs. Woods 4 down, Mrs. Fraser 5 down. “THE SONG YOU GAVE ME.” HAWERA OPERA HOUSE TALKIES. “The Song You Gave Me,” the new 8.1. P. film which will screen to-night at the Opera House, Hawera, is a musical comedy romance of refreshing gaiety and subtle weave, guaranteed to charm the most ardent and critical filmgoers. Two of the brightest stars in the film constellation, Bebe Daniels and Victor Varconi, were specially chosen to play the leads. The story is an original one, which gives ample scope to the director and stars, and the backgrounds, both musical and artistic, are as ravishing as anything that has emanated from Hollywood. “This Week of Grace,” which, is a Julius Hagen production, directed by Maurice Elvey, is due at the Opera House, Hawera, for a season of three nights and a matinee, commencing to-morrow. “This Week of Grace” not only provides a great number of laughs, but radiates an atmosphere of good fellowship and infectious gaiety. It has been designed to give the star every opportunity to exploit her talent and her personality and the five songs which Gracie puts over in her inimitable style are skilfully introduced.