INSTITUTiv PAPERS. IO9 



1906 of 5876 lbs. to 7267 lbs. in 1909, due partly to a better 

 knowledge of feeding and better farm grown feeds, and partly 

 to a better class of dairy cows as we began to have heifers of 

 our own raising, giving milk in 1907 while previous to that time 

 we bought all the cows needed to replenish our dairy. Since 

 that time each year has added to the home raised cattle until at 

 the present time more than half of the milking herd were raised 

 on our own farm. In 1906 we had only two cows that gave over 

 7,000 lbs. of milk that year, while in 1909 we had 26 that gave 

 over 8,000 lbs. each and 19 of these were two-year-old and 

 three-year-old heifers doing their first season's work, with a 

 credit of over 7,000 lbs. as the average of this young flock. 

 These figures are encouraging and help stimulate us to reach 

 our goal, which is to own a herd of 50 cows with an average 

 annual milk production of 8,000 lbs. We hope in a few more 

 trials we shall be able to attain this object. 



One more thought I would like to leave with you. I find in 

 the past seven years w^e averaged to keep 64 cows and that the 

 average 'yearly production for these years was 6344 lbs. Dur- 

 ing that time there was always one cow superior to all the rest 

 in milk production and one that fell far short. Now in making 

 comparison of these two kinds of cows for seven years, I found 

 if the whole 64 cows had been as good as the best one and we had 

 sold the milk at the farm at wholesale at 4 cents per quart, we 

 would have had nearly $50,000 more money for the 7 years than 

 we would have had if the whole herd had been like the poorest 

 one and yet, if all this herd of 64 cows for seven years were like 

 the poorest one, they still would have been better than the aver- 

 age of the cows of the United States for the past 10 years in 

 milk production, while the average of the herd of 64 for seven 

 years, if all had been as good as the best one, would have just 

 about equalled the average for 10 years of the cows of Holland. 



Surely here is food for thought that we Americans can do 

 well to consider. Our profits would be greater and our hope of 

 improving our homes, educating our children and getting out of 

 this life all that the Divine Creator intended for us will be much 

 better if we make use of the power he gave us in the manage- 

 ment of our dairies, and if we accept his command in the fullest 

 sense, — "By the sweat of thy brozu shalt thou earn thy bread." 



In closing, if you are not already doing so, let me urge upon 



