CERTIFICATE-OF-RECORD DAIRY COWS.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XIII, Issue 4, 20 October 1916, Page 293

CERTIFICATE-OF-RECORD DAIRY COWS.

A WORLD’S RECORD.

W. M. SINGLETON,

Assistant Director, Dairy Division

New Zealand's system of certificate-of-record testing has been in operation only four seasons, but the authenticated records of the best producers in each class have given us reason to believe that there are in this Dominion strains of purebred dairy cattle equal to anything in other countries. Until the present month (6th

October), however, we had not been in a position to grant a certificate on a production of butter-fat that constituted a world’s record for the class according to the age of the animal at commencement of test.

So far as our office records give us an indication, we believe that we now have in New Zealand the world’s best yearling in Mere, owned by Mr. F. S. Mcßae, of Palmerston North. This heifer commenced milking at the age of i year 346 days, and in 365 days has a credit for 12,1641 b. milk, containing 663-64 lb.

butter-fat. In the world’s class for yearlings the butter-fat record of Mere displaces that of a sister of Woodcrest. Joe, the Department’s Friesian bull at Weraroa. This heifer, Woodcrest Colantha Pietje, owned in the United States, has a yearling record of 20,859-7 lb. milk, containing 639-62 lb. fat, which then constituted a world’s milk and fat record for her class. Mere’s record is all the more creditable by reason of her having again calved, just thirteen months after the commencement of her test now under notice.

The pedigree of Mere, especially on the dam’s side, will be interesting to New Zealand Jersey fanciers. The importance of pedigree study is being recognized more and more. Mere’s dam was Tiki. This cow was entered for test, but met with a misfortune shortly after calving and died. She gave promise of great production. Tiki’s dam was Charm, owned by Mr. Mcßae, and while under test as a four-year-old produced 572-52 lb. fat from 9,980 lb. milk, becoming class leader. Charm was from Floss 111, a grand old cow, which, starting test at almost eleven years of age, produced under unfavourable conditions in 309 days 10,259-25 lb. milk and 476-56 lb. fat. Charm and Floss each dropped a calf within fourteen months from the commencement of their testingperiod.

i The strong inheritance of Tiki, the dam of our New Zealand champion, is further evidenced on her sire’s side. Starlight 11, the recipient of many show awards, was the sire of Tiki. Starlight II and Sabean 111 were full brother and sister, and, although their hereditary factors may not have been the same, a breeder s appreciation of Starlight II would be much enhanced by the splendid C.O.R. of .Sabean 111, which has a credit of 625-38 lb. fat at the age of seven years. The dam of Starlight II is Sabean 11. This cow, commencing at almost ten years of age and under conditions which represent no forcing, produced 454-67 lb. fat. ' Mere’s sire is Fancy’s Lord Twylish, an importation from the herd of Mr. Chirnside, of New South Wales. The record of Mere

has brought the name of Fancy’s Lord Twylish into the limelight, and we trust he will add to Mere s class other daughters with

equal production.

During the latter part of August twenty-five varieties of tomatoes were sown in the glasshouse at Ruakura, and all germinated well. While, germination in the main took eight days, it was found that by placing panes of glass on some of the boxes it was possible to gain at least four days from . date of sowing to time of pricking off. This is a point worth noting, and, says the Horticultural Overseer, the method might be tried on many other of the finer seeds.