44 Tpiirty-Sixth Annual Report of the 



Prof. Dean: — $34.30 on the milk; on butter, only $2.19. 

 Let me tell you how this is reckoned. We buy from six to ten 

 thousand pounds of milk a day from the farmers and use it at 

 the present time for students to work with, and in the summer 

 time for experimental purposes, paying varying prices for a 

 pound fat in milk or cream delivered at our dairy. It went as 

 low as 18 cents in the summer time. ' The profit on butter is 

 reckoned on the basis that we pay farmers for fat delivered at 

 the dairy. 



Mr. Aitken : — Are the results obtained at the Central Ex- 

 periment Station at Ottawa the same as those you have just men- 

 tioned ? 



Prof. Dean : — They have no Holstein cows so far as I know. 

 I believe their Ayrshires have given the best all round results. I 

 am speaking from my own practical experience with three 

 breeds. I don't advise you to change your breed of cows. There 

 is more difference between individual animals of the same breed 

 than between animals of different breeds. It is more a matter 

 of individuality than of breed. 



A Member: — You make the statement that you care but 

 little for dairy form. It is given a good deal of consideration 

 here. What points would you take into consideration if you 

 bought cows without knowing anything about what they tested? 



Prof. Dean : — We have recently adopted the rule when buy- 

 ing the pure bred cattle of the dairy breeds of buying none but 

 animals which have been what we call in our country "officially 

 tested." There is provision made there that any man who owns 

 dairy cows may have them tested by a disinterested person. I 

 have but little faith in tests made by private individuals. Con- 

 sequently in answering that question, I would say that I would 

 buy no pure bred cow and pay no fancy price, regardless of 

 weight, form or color, unless her owner can show that she has a 

 satisfactory record. We have any number of these tests being 

 made at the present time for cattle owners by independent au- 

 thority, and I think you should have some such system here. 

 When it comes to cows of no special breeding, then you nmst, 

 if you can. get information from the owner. Usually you can- 

 not. And if you do my experience in this, — if a man tells you 

 that she will give six gallons in a day and four pounds of butter, 

 you can cut that in two right on the start. If you are able to 

 get any accurate or reliable statement as to what the cow can do, 

 then there are certain things, of course, that you will be guided 

 by, such as the development of the udder, etc. I believe, how- 

 ever, that there are very few persons who can go into any herd 

 and point out just what cows can do the best. 



