96 ANNUAL EEPOETS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 



tions have been slaughtered, and a number of associations were 

 temporarily discontinued because it was not deemed advisable to run 

 the risk of spreading the disease by having the tester going from 

 herd to herd. 



During the year 81 new associations were formed, while 32 ceased 

 operations. This leaves a total of 210 active associations with 5,578 

 members owning 105,526 cows, or an increase of 30 per cent over the 

 161 associations reported active last year. 



A few of many instances of benefit from cow-testing-association 

 work may be cited. Two associations in Maryland which have run 

 for 3 and 4 years, respectively, show an average increase of 21 and 14 

 pounds of fat per cow per year, which is sufficient to pay for the work 

 for a longer period than the total time the associations have been in 

 operation. In a herd in Maine the average quantity of milk pro- 

 duced per cow has increased in 5 years from 5,594 to 8,649 pounds, 

 an average increase of 611 pounds a year. The fat increased on an 

 average of 16.6 pounds a year. The owner of another Maine herd, 

 stated that the value of his herd had been doubled and the net profit 

 per cow increased 50 per cent. 



COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OF DAIRYING AT ALGONA, IOWA. 



The experiment in the community development of dairying at 

 Algona, Iowa, shows a steady improvement in conditions and meth- 

 ods, both in the creamery and on the farms. The object of this 

 experiment is to determine whether or not the business of a creamery 

 can be increased enough by a competent field man working among 

 the patrons to enable the creamery to pay the expenses of such a man. 

 During the first 10 months of the past year the creamery sold more 

 sweet cream than ever before during the same length of time, and 

 could not fully supply the demand. The premium of 3 cents a pound 

 of butter fat for sweet cream is still allowed. The prices paid to 

 patrons have been equal to those of other creameries with twice as 

 much business, and 2 or 3 cents more than prices paid by other 

 creameries of the same size. A Holstein breeders' association has 

 been organized. 



The number of silos in the community was nearly doubled, 14 

 having been erected. The production of butter fat increased about 

 8,000 pounds over the year before, partly due to the increased num- 

 ber of silos. The cow-testing association has been maintained with 

 good interest. Sales of cows and bulls show a marked advance in 

 prices, due to the records, and the acquisition of improved dairy 

 stock from outside continues. Progress has been made in getting 

 owners to test their herds with tuberculin. There has been much 

 improvement in feeding methods and in the kind of crops grown. 



DAIEY DEVELOPMENT IN NEBEASKA. 



Field work for the development of dairying in Nebraska was 

 begun August 1, 1914, in cooperation with the State University. 

 The field man has given much time to farmers' institutes. Work 

 for the improvement of city milk supplies has been done at several 

 places. A bank is offering cash prizes for cow testing by boys and 



