I56 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



To what extent can we control these conditions and to what 

 extent shall we hold the cow responsible? We must establish a 

 standard of at least 5,000 pounds of milk per cow or 250 pounds 

 of butter, or continue to do business at a loss. We must then 

 determine what each individual cow in the herd is producing and 

 keep a record of her work. At the end of a period of time, 

 depending somewhat on conditions as regards its length, you will 

 have become satisfied regarding the desirability 'of continuing 

 the cow in the herd, and the observations and experience gained 

 will prove a valuable factor in the work of the year which follows. 



The matter of selection, breeding, feeding and care of dairy 

 animals may form a lifelong study. I have in mind a young 

 and successful New Hampshire dairyman, a graduate from om 

 four years' agricultural course, who after graduation returned 

 to his father's farm and in 'due course of time has established 

 for himself a herd of thirty pure bred Jerseys. He began this 

 work with one cow and has steadily followed the plan which he 

 adopted before taking up the work. Eventually the father 

 retired, selling to the son the ancestral acres. Steadily and surely 

 the young man has continued gradually increasing the size of 

 his herd, and increasing the individual productive capacity of the 

 cows at the same time. Last year the thirty cows, every one of 

 which was bred and raised on the farm, averaged him 340 pounds 

 of butter per cow. Should you meet him tomorrow he could 

 tell you just the amount of milk and butter each one 'of those 

 thirty cows produced, as well as the cost of the food required to 

 produce it. He makes his own butter on the farm, using the 

 skim-milk and buttermilk in raising his young stock and pigs. 

 His farm is one of those side hill farms, such as are often found 

 in New Hampshire, but it is a model of neatness and one can 

 but feel 'a higher regard for agriculture and dairying as a busi- 

 ness, after having inspected its various departments. 



Wherever we find system and order we are almost sure to find 

 contentment and prosperity. We find examples, occasionally, 

 examples from which the great majority may well take pattern. 

 The dairymen of Maine have many such examples and conspic- 

 uous among them is that of the Honorable President of this 

 Association, whose farm and herd are indeed models of neatness, 

 and whose productive capacity has been increased to a high 

 degree through his intelligent efforts and hard work. 



