ISO AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



5. The Analysis of Milk Records. 



The intensive study of existing record of milk and butter- 

 fat production, published in the Advanced Registry reports of 

 the various breeds, has been prosecuted energetically during the 

 past year. As was pointed out in the last report of this Com- 

 mittee, the necessary age correction factors for milk production 

 have now been completely worked out for the three breeds, 

 Jersey, Holstein-Friesian and Ayrshire. The necessity for these 

 age corrections has been emphasized in former reports. Before 

 it is possible to make any just comparison between the produc- 

 tivity of two cows, it is necessary that a proper scientific cor- 

 rection be made for their difference in age at the time when 

 the milk records were made. The working out of proper cor- 

 rections has involved a great deal of extremely laborious mathe- 

 matical work. This work, however, is now completed and we 

 are able to use these correction factors in a constructive way. 



As a first contribution in this direction, we have considered 

 in the Jersey breed the influence of certain advanced registry 

 bulls on the productive qualities of the breed. A complete report 

 on this phase of the work will be issued later as an appendix to 

 this report. 



