THE FARM

Waikato Independent, Volume XXIV, Issue 3223, 24 May 1924, Page 3

THE FARM

DON'T BE POOLED. VALUE OF HERD TESTING. "You tun fool some of the people some of the time; Von can fool all the people some of the time; But you can't fool all the people all the time." In the past the fanner, speaking generally, has been "fooling himself all the time," and it is only these last fewyears that, he has begun to realise that it would be in his interests not to bo fooled For even part of the thllCi This is made evident by the continued progressive strides herd testing is making throughout the Auckland Province and particularly our own Waikato district. Many of the district farmers are nowalive to the position and are determined to find which cows in their herds are "fooling them some of the time and those fooling them all the time," Herd testing is going to achieve this object, in its entirety, with the active support of the farmers themselves. Herd testing has come to stay, and as a necessary adjunct to successful dairying is ns yet an undisputed contention. However, with the system practically in its infancy its importance to the farmers of this district has not manifested itself as it surely will do in years to come. Those of our farming community who are alive to the importance of herd testing have culled- their herds accordingly and replaced "obsolete machines" with paying propositions. The result of such re-arranging of herds is manifesting itself in some of the excellent, test figures that have been published recently in district papers. Of course, as in all other things, there are people, and the "cockie" is not excepted, wdio are sceptical of some of these results shown. It is realised that the system of obtaining the results of testing is not perfect, and even allowing that in some eases there is the possibility of discrepancies, the figures as siipplied by the New Zealand Herd Tosting Association, are fairly reliable. Even making an allowance on the results already aho-wn by the Association the value to the farmer of the system generally is a vital factor in tho ultimate increased productivity of herds and the accompanying prosperity of the farmer who is not going to be fooled even part of the time. EASM TO STAY. "If dairymen would farm to stay and not merely to sell there would be better farms and hords in the district than thero arc now," were the expressions of a Morrinsvillo farmer the other day. Many dairymen, he said, were merely farming so that in a few years they could sell out to make a few pounds an acre on their land. If they w r ere farming proporly they would work with an eye to the future, putting clown more lasting pastures and building up better herds. As an instance of advancement in this diroetion ho quoted the Mangatoparu soldier settlers, who, he said, were practically bound to stay there for a number of years or pay all their back rent. Most of these men were building up herds with first-class animals and the results were now beginning to be seen. MEAT FROM SOUTH AMERICA. The New Zealand Meat Producers' Board has received a cable from its representative at Buenos Aires. South America, advising the following shipments to the United Kingdom for the fortnight ended 17th inst., from Argentine and Uruguay:—l4l,llo quarters chilled beef; 39,973 quarters frozen beef; 20,078 carcases frozen mutton; 35,609 carcases frozen lamb. The quantity shipped to the Continont of Europe during tho same period totalled: 1+1,350 quarters frozen beef; 4150 carcases frozen mutton. Tfhc cable also states that cattle are now dearer.