DAIRY AND SEED IMPROVEMENT MEETINGS, 285 



increasingly difficult to keep account of the receipts and ex- 

 penditures. The record obtained by the above method, to- 

 gether with a record of the feed and labor expended, makes 

 this work very simple in the dairy. It lends an interest to the 

 work to take down the book and follow the column showing 

 just whait each cow has given you in the past month or year. 

 It is also very profitable as the following statement will show. 



In the first place, there is knowledge gained in respect to the 

 individuals oif the herd. One cow may look just as s.trong, 

 just as well built for mdlk or cream production, as another. We 

 may have some idea of what sihe produces by the looks of the 

 pail at milking time, but that is a very vague idea when com- 

 pared with the knowledge which we have at the end of the 

 month's test, wllien we know the exact amount of cash which 

 she has given us in tliat time. It is clear cash that counts and 

 what .we are looking for, not pleasure, although that may come 

 in the long run. We do not want to keep a cow that is running 

 us in debt, or just paying her keep, when we can have one 

 that will pay a hand'some profit. 



That "Many cows are poor cows today, who were good 

 cows born," is altogether too true. Feeders of live stock do 

 not realize w'hat their responsibility is. Many times a cow is 

 fed a ration which is far in excess of her needs, or capacity 

 to assimilate and change into milk. It is all too well-known 

 wha!t effect heavy eating has upon the human family. It taxes 

 the system above its sltrength and the first thing we knOw, 

 the weakest organ gives way and there must be a rest or the 

 whole system will go to pieces. R is said that "Curiosity is 

 the mother of all knowledge," and we know that "Knowledge 

 i^. power." Thus, any knowledge which we may obtain in re- 

 gard to the needs of the dairy cow gives us power to meet 

 those needs. Without the knowledge of production, it is very 

 difficult to feed scientifically. Without a knowledge, to some 

 exent, of the amount of energy consumed in keeping up life 

 and warmth and in producing whatever product we may be 

 seeking, it is impossible to supply tha't need. One other thing 

 in regard to feeding, we can compare the various feeds in rela- 

 tion to production. If the silage has run short and we have to 

 return to the feeding of hay or root crops, we at once see the 

 loss which we are undergoing from the lack of the higher 



