No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 261 



the farm, that she be of good size, with springing rib, a strong loin, 

 and low flank; that she be closely scrutinized in calf-hood and 

 weighed and measured in early cow-hood; that if she from any way 

 prove deficient, none of her progeny be permitted ever to find a 

 place in the milk or breeding state, no matter how fancy her points, 

 or how long her pedigree." 



MILKING QUALITIES. 



Quantity of production and persistency of milking are well known 

 characteristics of this breed. I had ofiflcial charge of the cow Clo- 

 thilde at the close of her years' record of 26,021^ pounds. She was 

 then giving from 53 to 57 pounds of milk daily. There has been re- 

 ceived to the Advanced Register of the Ilolstein-Friesian Associa- 

 tion, 77 records ranging from 15,000 to 30,000 pounds of milk in a 

 year. Dropping her calf at two years old, an average heifer of this 

 breed in good health, well fed and cared for, will produce 6,000 

 pounds of milk in ten months. She will increase this amoiunt each 

 and every year until she is five years old, when she will give from 

 10,000 to 12,000 pounds in a like period. The quality of milk will 

 average about 3.5 per cent, fat and about 9 per cent, of solids-not- 

 fat. The nutritive value of the solids-not-fat will be more than 

 equal to that of the fat as in most other breeds, but as in other 

 breeds, the commercial value will be much less. Here allow me to 

 venture a prediction. Science is discovering so many uses for milk 

 solids-uot-fat, and not many years hence, their commercial value will 

 be as high as that of the fat. Then will come the hey-day of the 

 dairy farmer. 



In 1895, a system of official testing was adopted to determine the 

 capacity of this breed for butter production. It was perfected in 

 1898. The tests are for seven consecutive days. They are made 

 by agents sent from and responsible to our experiment stations. 

 The fat is determined by the Babcock test and the butter estimated. 

 In cases of extreme large records, re-tests are made. During the 

 last official year 255 such tests were reported. The rules require 

 that they be arranged into seven classes according to the ages of the 

 cows. The number of cows and average products of each class were 

 as follows: 



Cows five years old or over, 93, averaging; age, 7 years, 5 months, 

 2 daj'S; milk, 419.0 lbs.; per cent, fat, 3.43; estimated butter, 80 

 per cent., fat, 17 lbs. 15.3 oz.; 85.7 per cent, fat, 16 lbs. 12.2 oz. 



Cows between 4^ and 5 years old, 12, averaging; age, 4 years, 8 

 months; milk, 409.4 lbs.; per cent, fat, 3.29; estimated butter, 80 

 per cent., fat, 16 lbs. 13.3 oz.; 85.7 per cent, fat, 15 lbs. 11.4 oz. 



Cows between 4 and 4^ years old, 11, averaging; age, 4 years, 3 



