BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 327 



much greater. He entered all his cows in a dairy contest the follow- 

 ing year, with the result that every cow of the herd entered the 

 Register of Merit, with an a^■eragc butter-fat production of 405 

 pounds per year, and two bulls were qualified to the Register of 

 Merit. With exact knowledge of the production of each cow he has 

 been able to make sales of cows at much higher prices than could 

 otherwise be obtained. 



BULL ASSOCIATIONS. 



Bull associations are a new form of cooperative breeding associa- 

 tion. They have for their object the sure and rapid development of 

 well-built, productive milch cows by means of the purchase and joint 

 ownership of meritorious purebred bulls, by selection of the best dams 

 with regard to yielding ability and pedigree, and by rational and 

 proper treatment of the offspring. 



The territory covered by an association is divided into three or 

 four breeding blocks with not more than 60 cows in each. The asso- 

 ciation stations one bull in each of these blocks for the exclusive use 

 of the members in the block. At the end of every two years the 

 blocks exchange bulls; the bull in block No. 1 goes to block No. 2, 

 the bull in block No. 2 goes to block No. 3, and so on. In this way 

 the member of a bull association, for the initial purchase price of 

 one bull, has the use of a bull for several years, and the cost of bull 

 service is materially reduced. This method also permits the purchase 

 of higher class bulls, since only a few bulls have to be bought, as 

 against one for each herd under ordinary conditions. The selection 

 of breeding animals being based on records of performance, a rapid 

 and sure development of profitable strains of dairy cattle is made 

 possible. The community in turn becomes a breeding center for one 

 particular breed of cattle, and this has a tendency to develop a unity 

 of interest. 



During the year two bull associations have been organized and are 

 in successful operation, one in Walsh County, N. Dak., and the other 

 in Carroll County, Md. Still another is in process of formation in 

 North Dakota. 



BREEDKRS' AND LIVE-STOCK ASSOCIATIONS. 



One Guernsey breeders' association was formed in Colorado, and 

 a State Tlolstoin breeders" association was formed in Maryland, largely 

 through the efforts of the field men in these States. Assistance was 

 also given in the organization of four live-stock associations in the 

 South. There are good prospects for the organization of many of 

 these livo-stock associations m the South during the coming year. 

 They are beneficial in that they foster cooperation and the improve- 

 ment of cattle, and may ultimately lead to breeders' and cow-testing 

 associations. 



HERP RECORDS. 



Where cow-testing associations are not organized, dairymen are 

 encouraged to keep records of (lieir herds. This work has been car- 

 ried on during the year Avith 94 herds in (he South and West, 42 of 

 which have conipleled a year's work. In the past, herd records have 

 been kept with a number of farmers in each State, with a view to 



