WYOMING COUNTY'S DAIRY IMPROVEMENT 



ASSOCIATIONS 



H. M. BowEx, Warsaw, N. Y. 



Farm Bureau ]\Ianager, Wyoming County 



Dairying occupies a leading position in tlie agricnlturtal activities 

 of Wyoming County. In this industry our chief problem is the 

 economic production of milk. The solution of this problem lies 

 in the improvement of our dairy herds by the development of better 

 individuals and the elimination of unprofitable ones. 



The chief agency in attaining this object, embraced by a large 

 number of our best dairymen, is the cow-testing association, now 

 knowm as the dairy improvement association. 



There are now operating in Wyoming County six of these organ- 

 izations, aggregating 180 herds, with approximately 4,000 cows. 

 Of these associations, three have reorganized under the name of 

 dairy improvement associations, while three are still cow-testing 

 associations and will be reorganized at the expiration of the present 

 year. 



In the associations that have been in operation for two or more 

 years, approximately one-half of the members have remained from 

 the beginning. While it requires considerable labor to reorganize 

 an association, yet we never experience serious trouble and nearly 

 always have men on the waiting list. 



The demand for the work of the cow-testing association is very 

 strong and we could easily form two more associations if we could 

 find the time. A strong sentiment for the improvement of the 

 dairy herd has grown up in our county as a result of our associa- 

 tions. The " robber cows " are becoming more and more unpopu- 

 lar, and our best dairymen are eliminating them from their herds 

 as rapidly as possible. The registered sire is rapidly displacing 

 the mongrel and is producing a marked change in our dairy herds. 

 All of these results are to be credited largely to the cow-testing 

 associations. 



A county register of merit was established last year, and we 

 publish monthly all cows in the associations giving over 1,350 

 pounds of milk or over 45 pounds of butter fat. We have in our 



LOU] 



