HERD TESTING

Wairarapa Daily Times, 30 July 1936, Page 8

HERD TESTING

WAFRARAPA ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL MEETING. Mr L. R. Wilton presided over a good attendance of delegates representing Gladstone, Greytown, Featherston and Paliautea at the annual meeting of the Wairarapa Herd Testing Association, held at Greytown. It was decided to donate two guineas to the Wairarapa Boys’ and Girls’ Oalf Clubs, the amount to be utilised as prize money as first, second and third cash prizes for championship judging for calves from dams tested in the 1935-36 season and calves from dams under test in the 1936-3/ season. The following rule was carried at the annual meeting of the council of the federation held at Napier:—“Calculations shall be from the fourth day after the day of calving.” No credit is given for the day of calving or the first, second and third days after the day of calving. Remits from the Wairarapa Association to the federation meeting urging that the Massey College herd testing course be held during the off season, and that a definite rule be laid down to prevent break-aways from associations were both referred to the Herd

Recording Council. The Herd Recording Council, in control of group herd testing, consists of one representative each of the Department of Agriculture, N.Z. Dairy Breeds Federation, N.Z. Dairy Board, Dominion Group Herd Testing Federation. Mr C. M. Hume, Herd Recording Supervisor, was in attendance and addressed the meeting on matters pertaining to the future running of the association in the Wairarapa.

The meeting decided to leave testing charges as they have been for the ensuing season and to commence canvassing at an early date. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to the chairman for his, services to the association and to Mr Hume for attending and addressing the meeting. The chairman, Mr L. R. Wilton, in his ninth annual report, stated: “The past season has been one of the most successful for some years, being a big lift for the dairyman after the previous two seasons of drought. Production stands at a particularly high level, and this, coupled with better prices for butterfat, places the dairy farmer in a more comfortable position. Many good performances have been recorded; especially have those farming on lighter country benefited this season. Some herds finished the season early, this perhaps, owing to the two previous drought seasons when production ter-

I minated early. The Gladstone Associa* ( tion is to be congratulated upon having, achieved the very satisfactory-.average of 317.43 lbs. butterfat in days, over all cows in its group. “It is beneficial to commence supplementary feeding, if possible, well before the end of December to help maintain the yield of milk. This is a period when, if the cows, are helped along to overcome the usual decided decline in milk yield it will mean a lot towards a good season. If sown for grazing purposes, red clover gives excellent results, carrying the herd along until turnips or rape are ready for feeding. Many dairymen are now growing sufficient mangolds to feed in tho summer and obtain good results at this period. Most farms consist of several classes of soils and the farmer is realising the benefit of sowing suitable grasses on the different soils. Stony ground has been made to produce wonderful stands of lucerne, whilst light and sandy soils grow excellent subterranean clover. Both of these are of prolific growth and when estaJitslied on such often despised paddocST will even return more butterfat per acrethan the good pasture soils.”