326 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Another fanner in (he .same locality built a silo himself, nnder the 

 supervision of one of our men, of the same material, size IG by 

 37 feet, at a cost of $'294.80. Eiohteen concrete silos in Colorado cost 

 an averaj^e of $2.37 per ton capacity, and two in Idaho cost $2.25 

 per ton capacity. 



Twenty-two dairy barns were built, and 32 remodeled, under the 

 supervision of our field men; 13 were under construction at the end 

 of the year; and 55 are contemplated for the coming year. Twenty 

 dairy houses were built, 11 remodeled, 8 are under construction, and 

 25 are contemplated for the coming year. Sixteen purebred bulls 

 were added to herds, 2 cow-testing associations and 1 bull association 

 were organized, and 18 dairymen kept records of their herds. 



DAIRY BUILDING PLANS SUPPLIED. 



Aside from the work of the field men, the Dairy Division is con- 

 stantly sending from the office, to people who apply for them, plana 

 of various kinds of dairy buildings. In many cases these plans are 

 used in the erection of buildings under the supervision of the field 

 men ; in many other cases they are used independently and in various 

 parts of the country. During the past fiscal year plans were fur- 

 nished for 291 barns, 170 silos, 134 milk houses, 11 ice houses, and 

 77 miscellaneous buildings. 



CK)W-TESTING ASSOCIATIONS. 



There are now 97 active cow-testing associations in the United 

 States out of 118 which have been organized since 1905. Of the 

 active associations 14 are in Wisconsin ; 12 in Vermont ; 8 each in 

 Iowa, Maine, Michigan, and New York; 6 in Washington; 5 each in 

 Illinois and Minnesota; and smaller numbers in various other States. 

 During the year the States of Vermont, New York, Michigan, Illi- 

 nois, and Iowa provided for men to look after the cow-testing asso- 

 ciation work in those States. Wisconsin has engaged an additional 

 man for this work, making two men now employed in that State. 



One of the greatest difficulties in the cow-testing association move- 

 ment is to secure efficient men to supervise the associations. It is 

 necessary to have some supervision from without, to make them fully 

 effective and to secure their continuance after the end of the first 

 year. Many dairymen mistakenly imagine that all the benefits that 

 can be obtained will be realized in one year of testing, and the end 

 of the first year is therefore a critical time. 



It is a pVevalent custom for dairymen supplying whole milk to 

 cities to sell every cow to the butcher when she goes dry, ajid buy 

 a new one. This causes a sad destruction of breeding stock when the 

 good cows go to the block, and efforts are under way to form cow- 

 testing associations among this class of dairymen. 



The experience of a Wisconsin dairyman affords a good example 

 of the benefits of the cow-testing associations. For three years before 

 entering the association the average production of his herd ranged 

 from 200 to 216 pounds of butter fat per cow. The first year in the 

 association the average fat production per cow rose to 308.1 pounds. 

 He also found that by feeding a balanced ration in general, but 

 varied to suit the needs of individual cows, the net proceeds were 



