22 Dairy Demonstration Work in New York State • 



All of the associations that were organized on the '' per cow " 

 plan either have adopted the per diem plan or have been discon- 

 tinued. With the year 1914 came an increased interest in the 

 cow-testing association work in this state. Despite the loss of 

 eleven associations during the year, caused largely by the severe 

 and widespread outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, the year 

 closed June 14, 1915, with a total of thirty-seven active associa- 

 tions, with 930 members and 19,963 cows, or nearly one-fourth 

 of all the cow-testing associations in the entire United States at 

 that time. These results were made possible by the active cooper- 

 ation of the farm bureau managers, of the state. 



With the increased demand for men as official testers, there 

 came a need for special training in the work. During the winter 

 of 1914-15, John A. Ennis, a dairy expert from the Bureau of 

 Farmers' Institutes, gave a course of training to a class of young 

 men at the State School of Agriculture, Alfred, jSTew York; 

 special instruction was also given in the same work by Director 

 F. G. Helyar at the State School of Agriculture, Morrisville, ISTew 

 York. The same plan for training was followed at both of these 

 schools during the past winter, and next year a similar course 

 will be given in the State School of Agriculture at Delhi. 



The plan has been to hold those associations already formed 

 to a high standard of efficiency by a full membership, a high grade 

 of men in charge of the work, and a more careful tabulation of 

 data gathered. At the normal institute for state institute work- 

 ers and county farm bureau managers, held at the State College 

 of Agriculture in Ithaca, ISTovember 10, 1915, Director Edward 

 van Alstyne presented a paper on " Suggestions for Broadening 

 and Making More Effective the Work of Cow-Testing Associa- 

 tions," which brought out discussion that led to the formation of 

 a plan for better cooperation between the farm bureau managers 

 and the Bureau of Farmers' Institutes, in conducting the cow- 

 testing association work (see pp. 2206-2217). This plan has been 

 further developed during the year by the efficient work of H. E. 

 Babcock, assistant to the state director of farm bureaus, in co- 

 operation with the Bureau of Farmers' Institutes, and is presented 

 on pp. 2202-2205 under the title, " Plans for the Future." 



During the past year 15 new associations have been organized, 

 and 7 discontinued, making a total of 45 in active operation 



