242 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE). 



"One of our members states that before he had any recoras 

 of his herd he had priced one of his cows to a neighbor for 

 $150.00. The neighbor decUned to purchase. After the owner 

 of the cow had been in Ihe association a year and the record 

 of this ct>w was known, she was sold to the same neighbor for 

 $275.00. Another patron, with a herd of 40 cows, was advised 

 to change his feed ration, and was shown by figures that the 

 new ration would cost $15 less per month. The ration was fur- 

 nished, and at the close of one month, an increased production 

 was shown, amounting to $16.30, making a total earning ot 

 $31.30 or nearly enough to pay for the association work for the 

 whole year." 



Mr. McKerrow, from Minnesota, said that within six 

 months they had brought into one county — Fremont — 30 pure- 

 bred bulls, as a direct result of the cow-testing association. 

 That is a great showing. 



There is one thing that a great many people want to know 

 and that is, what good the testing association is, year after 

 year. I have some charts from an association which I think 

 will tell you. The Newaygo County Cow Testing Association 

 in Michigan was the first organized in this country, and is still 

 doing business. 



These charts were compiled in the Dairy Division offices. We 

 have worked out the records of this association to date and 

 expect to publish them soon. One reason why I am particularly 

 interested in showing these charts, here, is that the records are 

 of small herds, such as you have in Maine. The herds are all 

 small; 4, 6, 9 and 12 cows. Somebody says that you cannot do 

 anything here, as you have small herds. Well, 8 or 9 cows is a 

 good-size herd. 



