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277
[1909
has been put forward that, at the Royal Show in 1909, of 32 shorthorns,
9 gave milk which was below the standard, and 2 barely reached it;
also that at the Dairy Show in the same year it was reported that 19 animals
yielded less than 3 per cent. of fat, while in 1907 the number of cows showing
a similar deficiency was 27.
In considering these figures it must not be forgotten that these animals
had been sent to compete for prizes at these shows because they were very good
milkers, both as regards quantity and quality, otherwise they would not
have been there. It is reasonable, therefore, to assume that the deficiency
in their fat was due to the very exceptional surroundings in which they found
themselves; for it is well known that change of surroundings affect the cow and
afterwards her milk. Indeed, the Secretary of the North Somerset Agricultural
Society in a lecture to farmers related that experiments carried out at
Wedmore for the study of herds under ordinary conditions showed that the
yield of milk evidently depended on the nervous system, and that it was noticed
that anything that interfered with the general comfort of the cows interfered
with their nervous system, and consequently with the milk. Hence it may be
reasonably assumed that the deficiency of fat in the milk of these show cattle
has been due to their unusual surroundings, which affected their nervous
systems. In any case it must be recollected that although an individual cow
may give milk below the standard, due either to a permanent or passing cause,
yet according to a recent report of the Lancashire County Council, while
individual cows give milk below the standard, the standard for the herd was
never below it.
As bearing upon this point, the recent issue of a paper devoted to the
interests of the milk trade, in commenting on the milk and butter tests at the
Royal Show at Liverpool, may be quoted:—
"Looking through the detailed results of the milking contests one cannot
"fail to note that quite a large number of cows did not reach the standard.
"There were no fewer than two Dexters, one Jersey (a breed which is known
"to give the richest milk), two Red Polls, one South Devon, five Shorthorns,
"and two Lincoln Red Shorthorns, which failed to reach the qualifying 3 per
"cent. of butter fat. While the individual may prove a delinquent in the
"matter of quality of milk there would be no trouble in this way when the
"milk is mixed. The yield of single cows in never sold separately, and taking the
"average of a herd, it is not at any time likely to fall below the required points in
"fat.''