BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 87 



CERTIFICATION OF ANIMALS 'MPORTED FOR BREEDING PURPOSES. 



Under the provision of paragraph 397 of the Tariff Act of October 

 3, 1913, the bureau issued during the fiscal year certificates of pure 

 breeding for 512 horses, 289 dogs, and 2 cats imported for breeding 

 purposes. 



DAIRY DIVISION. 



The increased and economical production and the wise use of dairy 

 products have been objects of special activities of the Dairy Division 

 under B, H. Rawl, chief. 



DAIRY EXTENSION. 



Extension work in dairying, carried on in cooperation with State 

 agricultural colleges, serves to carry dairying into new sections, to 

 introduce new practices developed as the result of research, and in 

 geueral to unify dairy methods throughout the country. Dairy 

 farming in general has presented unusual problems, but there has 

 been a cordial response on the part of the dairymen to the various 

 lines of work. 



SOUTHERN DAIRYING. 



Despite high prices for cotton, high cost of feed, difficulties in secur- 

 ing labor, and an extremely hard winter, the dairy work in the South 

 has held its own. The efforts of the extension forces have contributed 

 to the steady growth of dairying in Mississippi, Alabama, and in the 

 cheese districts of the southern mountains. 



Among the principal results accomplished are the organization of 

 6 bull associations and 11 cheese factories, the institution of cream 

 grading in creameries in Mississippi, the organization of 2 cow-testing 

 associations in Alabama in which 1,122 cows were put on test in 

 typical cotton sections, and the aid given in purchasing 200 pure- 

 bred bulls, 533 pure-bred cows and heifers, and 559 grade cows. 



WESTERN DAIRYING. 



Work in the interest of dairy development in the Far West has 

 been continued in the face of such hindrances as high feed costs, 

 the labor situation, droughts in certain sections, and unusually high 

 prices for beef. The last two factors have led to the slaughter of 

 dairy cows, most of which, however, were low producers. The 

 purchase of pure-bred cows and bulls has been encouraged, with the 

 result that dairying as a whole has shown an increase in quality rather 

 than in quantity. Advances in the price of alfalfa have done much 

 to impress dairymen with the importance of silage, and silos are be- 

 coming more and more a necessity. During the year 189 silos were 

 built in the West with the assistance of Dairy Division field men. 



COW-TESTING ASSOCIATIONS. 



The work of the cow-testing associations, the organization and 

 operation of which are encouraged and supervised by the Dairy 

 Division, has suffered because of the lack of men to serve as testers. 

 These organizations are composed each of about 26 farmers who hire 



