108 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



hi«rlior quality of the l)iitter produced. Much has been done to 

 interest farmers in winter dairying, and aid has been given to ice- 

 cream plants. 



WESTERN DAIRYING. 



The chief results of the extension work in the Western States has 

 -lieen along lines of better breeding, an improvement made neces- 

 ■sary by the high cost of production. The efforts of the extension 

 men have been directed toward the improvement of the quality of 

 Gutter and Cheddar cheese through personal assistance given to 

 •cneameries and factories. Cheese specialists cooperated with State 

 colleges in conducting short courses on practical cheesemaking. 



In the work for the improvement of market milk some striking 

 resul's have been obtained in western cities in lowering the bacte- 

 ria] count and generally improving the quality of milk supplies. 

 Contests were held in 17 cities, 910 samples of milk were scored, 

 and special assistance Avas given to city and State (le]:)ai'tments. 



In the West 14 cow-testing associations were organized or reor- 

 ganized, and 6 bull associations were organized. Assistance was 

 given in many other lines of work, including the erection of 1.685 

 silos, the selection of 50 purebred bulls and 318 coavs, and the super- 

 vision of herd records on 808 cows. 



a 



COW-TKSTI^'G ASSOCIATIOItS. 



The number of cow-testing associations active at the close of the 

 fiscal year was larger than at an}^ previous time since the work was 

 begun. Tjiese associations, Avhich are encouraged and supervised 

 b}'^ the Dairy Division, are made up of groups of dairymen Avho col- 

 lectively employ a tester to keep records on production, butterfat 

 test, feed consumption, and other data concerning each cow. On 

 July 1, 1920. they numbered 467, as compared with 383 associations 

 i>cti\'e on July 1, 1919. Wisconsin continues to lead, Avith 114; Penn- 

 sylvania ranks second, with 64: Ohio third, Avith 41; and XeAv York 

 fourth, Avith 28. iVrkansas reported a coAV-testing association for 

 the first time. A lack of aA-^ailable, properly trained testers con- 

 tinues to limit the increase in the number of associations. The sala- 

 ries of testers now range from S70 to $125 a month, compared Avith 

 from $50 to $75, formerly paid. In several States campaigns to 

 stimulate the use of ]3urebred sires ha\'e had marked success. In 

 Wisconsin 47 of the 115 associations are now free from scrub and 

 grade sires. 



The DairA^ Division has revised the system of blanlcs and books 

 used by testers, so as to make possible more accurate and complete 

 records and provide for monthly reports to the State supervisors 

 of coAv testinc;. The high costs of feed and labor, the chief difficul- 

 ties met bv the dairv industrv durino- the vear, haA^e caused dairy- 

 man to seek increased help from extension workers. 



Sti'dy of coav-testtng recoros. — Tabulation of the yearly records 

 of 38.532 association cows, which was completed this year, has 

 brought to light much valuable information on the relations between 

 milk and butterfat production, butterfat test, income OA^er cost of 

 fee;], and other factors. The aA^erage milk production per coAV-year 



