BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



233 



COW-TESTING ASSOCIATIONS. 



The purpose of cow-testing associations has been explained in previ- 

 ous reports, and this work has been made the subject of a paper in 

 the Twenty-sixth Annual Report of the Bureau. Two men are now 

 employed in giving assistance to state officials in organizing and con- 

 ducting cow-testing associations. No assistance is given by the Dairy 

 Division unless some state or local institution takes immediate con- 

 trol. During the past year 28 new associations have been organ- 

 ized, making a total of 55 in the United States at the present 

 time. These associations are located as follows : "Wisconsin, 12 ; Ver- 

 mont, 9; Maine, 6; Michigan, 6; Iowa, 5; California, 3; Ohio, 3; 

 Pennsylvania, 2; Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Nebraska, 

 New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, and Washington, 1 each. 



A number of dairj^men, after the first year's test has been com- 

 pleted, think that they have gained all the benefits to be derived from 

 cow testing and do not wish to continue the work. It is then neces- 

 sary to convince them that by continued testing the production of the 

 herd may be further increased. An example of the advantages de- 

 rived from continued testing is shown by the records of the Newaygo 

 County Dairy Testing Association in Michigan, which has completed 

 four years' work. The following table gives the yearly average per 

 cow of 9 herds which have been in that association since the be- 

 ginning: 



Results of continued testing in a Michigan cow-testing association. 



This table shows an increase in the average production per cow, 

 while the average profit has been practically doubled. 



SILO AND VENTILATION EXPERIMENTS. 



An experiment to determine the strength that a building must pos- 

 sess in order to withstand pressure of silage was reported last year. 

 It is now in progress for the second year. This year's work may give 

 sufficient data to warrant conclusions; if not, it will be necessary to 

 continue the experiment for another year. 



An experiment in stable ventilation was reported last year as hav- 

 ing been in progress for two years, and the work is not yet complete. 

 This experiment was not continued during the past winter owing to 

 the lack of proper facilities, but will be resumed on the newly acquired 

 farm of the Bureau as soon as sufficient equipment is available. 



