REPORT OF STATE DAIRY I^-STRUCTOR. 1 85 



Bonney of Canton as president; Mr. J- F- Palmer of East Suni- 

 ner, vice-president, and Air. A. H. Adams of Canton Point as 

 secretary and treasurer. Mr. A. S. Cook of Presque Isle, a 

 graduate of the Alaine Agricultural College, was engaged as 

 official tester. The association includes farmers from the 

 towns of Canton, Hartford and Sumner. There are three hiin- 

 dred and forty cows in the test. Monthly meetings have been 

 held, alternating between Canton and East Sumner. They have 

 always been well attftided and the members have invariably 

 shown themselves alive to the importance and possibilities of 

 the work. 



During the first six months, thirty-nine cows were sold by the 

 members of this association and in the same time thirteen cows 

 were purchased. It is a fact well worth noting that the thirteen 

 cows purchased have paid during the months they have been in 

 the association a monthly profit of $61.23, while the thirty-nine 

 cows sold only paid a monthly profit of $66.69. '^^^ advantage 

 of the summer season and the low cost for maintenance was also 

 very much in favor of the thirty-nine cows sold. 



All three associations were very fortunate in securing com- 

 petent assistants as official testers, and the work has been 

 progressing most satisfactorily. Interest in different sections 

 of the State is increasing and several more associations could be 

 easily organized if sufficient money was available to provide 

 proper supervision. 



Without question no more important work along dairy lines 

 has ever been undertaken in the State and it appears desirable 

 that an appropriation sufficient for extending and carrying on 

 this work should be made by the legislature at the coming 

 session. 



MEETINGS. 



The work of the Department is essentially extension work 

 and while visits to individual farmers, as in the inspection of 

 dairies, are of great value, yet the large number of farmers in 

 the State and the small amount of available funds at the disposal 

 •of the Department, precludes individual work to any great 

 extent. With this fact in mind it has been felt that public 

 meetings offer splendid opportunities for placing the plans of 

 the Department before a large number of people, and making 



