BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 89 



partment's county agents, since they can work with individuals more 

 extensively than is now practicable for the Dairy Division. 



During the year the field men assisted in organizing 21 associa- 

 tions, including 3 bull associations, 3 cow-testing associations, and 

 other live-stock associations; they introduced records in 89 herds, 

 attended 601 meetings and 12 fairs, assisted in building 193 silos, 112 

 barns, and 108 dairy houses, and assisted in the purchase of 927 

 cattle, including 166 bulls, and in the establishment of 2 college 

 creameries. Eleven pure-bred bulls were placed within a radius of 

 5 miles in the cotton-boll-weevil district of Mississippi. Some of 

 this work was done under a special appropriation for the develop- 

 ment of dairying in areas that have been freed of cattle ticks. Ten 

 men are engaged especially in the latter work. 



A conference of the field men working in the South was held at 

 Birmingham, Ala., June 6 to 8, 1916. The extension problems of the 

 southern field were considered and much good was accomplished in 

 the exchange of ideas and in promoting uniformity of work. 



COW-TESTING ASSOCIATIONS. 



In the Eastern and Middle Western States the development in 

 dairying is so well advanced that work with individuals is impracti- 

 cable. Efforts are therefore concentrated upon the development and 

 supervision of organizations which will benefit communities. Work- 

 ing with and through the county agents it has been possible to cover 

 a larger territory and at the same time add to the effectiveness of 

 the work. The county agent furnishes the local supervision which 

 is so necessary in maintaining organizations at their maximum effi- 

 ciency. The hearty cooperation of the State extension and dairy 

 departments has proved very valuable. 



Cow -testing associations were formed in States where there were 

 none before and many new associations were organized in the old 

 States. In all 135 new associations were organized during the year 

 and the total number now comprises 346 associations with 8,886 

 members and 150,677 cows. 



This work protects the dairyman against losses due to haphazard 

 methods, stimulates cooperation, introduces business system, and 

 places dairying on a more highly remunerative basis. Evidence of 

 these facts is found everywhere in the sections where such associations 

 have been organized and the cow-testing association is rapidly be- 

 coming an essential part of the rural organization in dairy districts. 



Cow-testing exhibits were held at the Ohio, Minnesota, and 

 Nebraska State fairs and at the Iowa Dairy Cattle Congress. All 

 these attracted much attention and concretely demonstrated the value 

 of record keeping. As a result of the Iowa exhibit three new 

 associations are now in operation in communities which received 

 their inspiration from it. 



In connection with the cow-testing work the field men have helped 

 dairymen with barns, silos, feeding, purchasing cattle, and general 

 dairy management. Associations have been encouraged to buy feed, 

 market the surplus stock, advertise cooperatively, and become better 

 acquainted with their neighbors' herds and methods. All this tends 

 to place dairying in the community on a more stable and profitable 



