l62 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE). 



The creameries with but little increased expense, which the 

 patron would gladly pay, could send a man who could properly 

 take samples at frequent intervals and bring the same to the 

 factory for testing, thus losing but little time in the factory, and 

 at the same time he would be fitted for the class of work which 

 he is called upon to do. 



The Department of Agriculture will be glad to give all the 

 assistance in its power to this cause, for without doubt, this is one 

 of the quickest and surest means of aiding our dairy interests 

 and we believe that time spent in this line of work will pay a 

 large return in future years. This Dairymen's Association should 

 also help by being recorded in favor of such a movement, if it be- 

 lieves in its wisdom, and take such further action as may seem 

 necessary and wise, for the succesful operation of this idea. Prof. 

 Smith of Michigan, which was the first of the states to under- 

 take this work, says, "It has scored a wonderful success but not 

 without its discouragements." This seems the easiest way to 

 accomplish a desired result and all that remains to be done is 

 for the interested ones in any locality, both the dairyman and the 

 creamery man, if there be one, to set about to increase the pro- 

 duction and profits by this system of co-operation, as set forth m 

 the test associations. 



A. W. Gilbert — I will say that if there are any dairymen 

 who want to take up a proposition of this kind, there are plenty 

 of men who are taking up the short course in agriculture at the 

 University of Maine who are especially fitted for this kind of 

 work ; who have the ability to test milk by the Babcock test, and 

 work out the value of feeding stuffs and all this sort of thing. If 

 there are dairymen who wish to take up this matter I think we 

 can supply the boys. It seems to me that those students are 

 especially fitted for this work. 



A. W. GiLMAN — This plan strikes me very favorably. It is 

 of but very little use for us to try to educate the average farmer 

 up to the position that my Brother Ellis now holds. We have 

 advocated that the farmer should know what each individual cow 

 is doing, but you know the men on the farm are very busy, and 

 they have never done this, as a rule, and I do not think you can 

 convince them, by lecturing and talking, of the great benefit that 

 may be derived from such an association as this. While we 

 were holding institutes the past few weeks, it was our pleasure to 



