No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 521 



ME. RAVEN: That is one of the worst troubles we have to over- 

 come — breed prejudice. I liave noAv on m}' list twelve or fourteen 

 associations where they are all ready to organize could they agree on 

 the breed of cattle, and it is necessary for us to hold meetings — ^some- 

 times I have held four to five meetings to try to overcome breed preju- 

 dice and educate them to a solution corresponding to surrounding 

 conditions. Greater advancement has been made in our country 

 where they have no breed prejudice. But we are overcoming that. 

 For instance, we have old Van Buren county organization in the 

 breeders' association; we also have a Holstein association that takes 

 in Lenawee county ; we have an island in the Detroit River, Graselle, 

 and every man on the island except one breeds Guernseys. We try 

 to educate to overcome this breed prejudice. I want to go at them 

 this way: ^'Gentlemen, don't you think it would be right and proper 

 and a money-maker to breed Jersey cattle at this point? If this man 

 can make money the whole of you can make money." Howell is one 

 place in America where more Holstein breeders get their mail than 

 any other place. Twenty-five or six receive mail at Howell. 



A Member: Who selects the sires? 



MR. RAVEN: All of these associations are incorporated for a 

 period of thirty years. Tt is not a one-day affair or one-year affair and 

 the men that go into these associations intend to breed one kind of 

 cattle continuously, so each association is governed by a board of five 

 directors who do all the business. In some of these associations the 

 College has to assist them in the selection of sires, and in most places 

 we have some young men Avho know nothing about cattle and some- 

 body has got to be educated along breeding lines, and these are the 

 men we attempt to educate. We say go out and buy the sires and 

 get the best information you can and use your own judgment. We 

 try not to interfere with the business proceedings in any way, shape 

 or manner. They have the right to buy whatever sires they want; 

 they can pay whatever price they want. Sometimes it is a good thing 

 to have them buy poor sires first and then they know where they lost 

 out and are more careful. Each association selects its sires, buying 

 where they like. We furnish them with a list of all the breeders of 

 the State breeding that kind of cattle. 



A Member: Have you noticed any tendency to buy better bulls 

 since the organization ? 



•MR. RAVEN: Yes; associations buy better bulls. While my work 

 is along association lines, I have placed more bulls outside of asso- 

 ciations than inside of the associations, because a great many men 

 refuse to join associations and will breed all the same. At one place 

 I organized a Guernsey association and placed five bulls in the as- 

 sociation. There were seven bulls bought by individuals outside, so 

 I had two more to my credit outside the association than inside. 



MR. HARMAN: What about the productiveness? What have you 

 noticed in regard to the increase in produce, the marketable pi'oducts 

 since the organization of these breeding associations? 



A Member: Who keeps these bulls? 



