DAIRYING IN ARGENTINA.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2321, 14 October 1908, Page 1

DAIRYING IN ARGENTINA.

DALGETY’S REATEAV,

Dairy work in South America 7 is carried on under, exactly similar climatic conditions t 0 those experienced in Australia. The butter factories reach their maximum output during the same months of the year as ours, and they place their exports.on the same market. Modern methods of dairying are quite of recent growth on tho River Plate. Prior to 189 G the mechanical separator, the creamery;, and the butter factory -were practically unknown: now they are quite up-to-date in these things;'but.while the manufacturing side of the business Ims progressed, the system of handling the milking herds is quite out of date. The Argentine dairyman, whether in a large or small way, generally considers the milking of cows as but an adjunct- to the fatstock raising. The large owner mostly dairies on the share system. The milking is done out; in the open; no shelter whatever is provided—not even a tree. The yards of light structure,- wired; small round hardwood posts, mostly crooked as a rani's horn, are sunk in about three feet, every thirty yards; in between the wires are run through stays. Adjoining the milking yard, a smaller one of similar structure is put up for the calves. By this system each herd Is without its calves for twelve hours. No bails are used. To start operations several .calves are led out into tho big yard; they immediately seek out their mothers and commence sucking. The cow’s hind legs are at once tied together, just above the hocks, with a green-hide rope; the calf is dragged away, from the teats, and tied by the neck to the off-side front leg of its mother. The cow has by this t-imo let- down, her milk, So the milker squats down with his bucket (lie carries his stool Strapped to him); as soon as he gets-his quota lie lets loose the calf, unstraps the cow s legs, and goes on to the next, whom the tier-up has by this time hobbled for him. The calves are let run with their, mothers -until next morning, and get the best- part of the milk. Some keep special teats for the calf to suck —two when) very young, one when older; when this is the case the cow is milked night and morning. As soon as a yard gets dirty, the fence is -removed in a few -hours to a fresh spot. It is not to be wondered at that the yield under these circumstanqes is very small per cow, averaging about two quarts per day, and the period of lactation running for only five or six months. Butter factory installations are quite up-to-date, and provided with power greatly in excess of present requirements. The commission 'lgent is not at all evident, and .the whole output is coi tro’led by about six factories, who do their own marketing, both local and export. Labor is very cheat) and plentiful, and is drawn from all countries- under the sun. The quantities of butter exported during the past five yoars' show -a decreise of about 44 percent. 111 1903, 5,700 tons were sent away; for the year just past only 3.200 tons, a decrease of 2,500 tons. The quality on the whole is very good : the percentage of superfine would he higher than here. This is accounted-for by the cream coming for the most part from large separiting stations, and delivered daily to the factories, and the bulk of tile cream being cooled and aeintcd immediately it is separated, and before being put into the cans. An increase in the Argentine exports cannot he looked forward to unless they change

t-noir meinoufi on the dairy r-irms, •and run them for tho production ot milk -first, and mako everything else -ocondary -to-that; and until such time 'Australia has no cause to fear of its Argentine rival. Under tho present systoin it does does not pay to milk. cows, and i. kings koep on as they -are an a few years the exportable surplus will have vanished, only enough being produced to supply local requirements.