The Dairying Department.

In the department of dairy farming and management there is much to interest and educate the young dairy-man. The milking herd is composed of pure Jerseys and high-grade Shorthorns. Every cow is individually tested for average yield of butter-fat, and a careful record kept of her performance. According to this record, she is either kept and bred from, or discarded as inferior. The standard the manager, Mr Primrose M'Connell, has set for the Ruakura dairy herd is a high one. He believes that a wise dairy farmer ought gradually to weed out every cow from his milking herd whose yield falls below 3001b per annum of butter-fat. The average return last year over the whole herd of cows at Ruakura was over 3001b. The Jerseys have lately taken high honours and championships at the agricultural shows in the Waikato and at Auckland. On the whole the Jersey herd is a good example of the desirable type of this breed, both in the matter of milking, breed points and constitution.