DAIRY MEETING. 1 29 



ard. And following the girting chain came into use the scales. 

 The chain was regarded as unreliable, but the scales were a sure 

 test. You know how the old prizes for trotting horses were 

 offered. They were only for those that could trot the fastest, 

 and there would be but few horses in a community that would 

 compete. Then classes were made, so that we had a class for 

 the horse that had not beaten 3 minutes, for the one that had 

 not beaten 2.40, etc. Gradually from that crude beginning down 

 to the present time there has been an advance in the work ; it 

 has been more of an educational nature. Now prizes are offered 

 for the best cow — the best milch cow. What is the best milch 

 cow ? If this is to be determined by the amount the animal will 

 produce, it is very easily answered, and we are answering it 

 very satisfactorily at the fairs by offering prizes for the cows 

 that will yield the most milk in 24 hours, or the most butter fat 

 in 24 hours, a matter very easily determined by having the cows 

 milked at a certain hour tonight and at a certain hour tomorrow 

 night, and determining the composition of the milk. Then you 

 have a measure of the actual production of the cow for that time. 

 It is simply a matter of the scales and the test. That means 

 simply the capacity of the animal to produce. I want you to dis- 

 tinguish between a dairy cow simply as a producer, and the Jer- 

 sey, or Holstein or Shorthorn. We do not measure our dairy 

 cattle today by the amount of butter fat they will yield alone. 

 There is something else which comes in for consideration. Our 

 fairs should be great educators, a great means for helping young 

 men. W^hen the first cattle from England were brought to this 

 country, you know in what way they were judged. They were 

 carried to the show ring and there judged as to which was the 

 best cow, which was the best three-year-old, or the best yearling, 

 or the best calf, male or female. The animals were examined 

 by the judge, or by three judges usually. The discussion went 

 on among this committee of three and when the award was 

 decided upon, the blue ribbon was hung upon one, the red upon 

 another and the white upon another, and the animals were dis- 

 missed. The men who were leaning over the fence watching 

 this matter of judging knew nothing about it until the ribbons 

 were hung upon the animals. You know that our boys, when 

 they were trying to learn types of animals, went to the fairs for 



