REPORT OF STATE DAIRY INSTRUCTOR. 23 



April and stayed two weeks, during which time we held meet- 

 ings with the three associations in Maine doing business, viz : — 

 The Waterville Dairy Improvement Association, the Andros- 

 coggin Valley Cow Test Association and the Norway and Wa- 

 ter ford Cow Test Association. We also held meetings in 

 Skowhegan, Lisbon, Dexter and New Gloucester, besides at- 

 tending a meeting of the Holstein Breeders' Association in 

 Auburn and two Farmers' Institutes at Windsor and Windham. 

 Three associations have been organized the past year and the 

 three old ones were never more prosperous. There is no one 

 thing that has done so much to benefit the dairymen of Maine 

 as the cow test associations. We are handicapped in three ways 

 in organizing associations in Maine : First, on account of 

 small herds ; second, froni difficulty in securing men for official 

 testers ; third, from lack of interest on the part of the farmer. 



I beHeve that the introduction of milking machines — and 

 there have been about fifty installed in Maine the past year- 

 means larger herds. That will overcome the first difficulty. To 

 overcome the second difficulty, the associations will have to 

 pay larger salaries if they get competent men and hold them. 

 Every association in Maine except one has had two or three 

 different men during the year, for the reason that the salary, 

 about $35.00 per month, is not satisfactory and as soon as these 

 men prove their worth they get a position that commands a 

 larger salary. The requirements of these official testers are 

 very exacting. They must have some technical training and 

 a lot of good common sense; they must be men of good moral 

 character and be what we call good mixers. To overcome the 

 third obstacle, it is necessary, as in every other institution that 

 sufifers from lack of interest, to keep all the time on the job; 

 sending out literature, explaining the benefits of these associa- 

 tions, holding meetings, and having men at these meetings for 

 speakers who are patrons of some of the associations and will 

 tell of the benefits to them in increased production of their 

 herds at less cost. 



There are twelve breeders' associations in Maine, as follows : 

 Four Jersey Breeders' Associations, four Holstein Breeders' 

 Associations, one Shorthorn Breeders' Association, one Guern- 

 sey Breeders' Association, one Sheep Breeders' Association and 

 the Maine Live Stock Breeders' Association. There have heyn 



