Vermont Dairymen's Association. 149 



Dairymen's Association may justly be criticized in that it is a 

 very lively organization for three days in one week in the year 

 and more or less moribund for the rest of the time. I believe 

 that under its constitution and the State law it properly could 

 expend some of its funds in furthering the establishment of test 

 associations among the dairymen of the state, and that if it did 

 this, it would be doing one of the very best things it could do for 

 the dairy interests of the state. 



te;st associations. 



Co-operation among dairymen in cow testing and in systematic 

 record, keeping. 



First association in Denmark in 1895. There are now over 1000 

 such associations in Denmark with over 22,000 members. 



Pioneer association in the United States in Michigan in September, 

 1905. Others have been and more are being organized. 



Cost to each individual member. 



25 cents membership, $1 per cow annually, board and lodging for 

 one man once a month and conveyance to the next member's place. 



Results. 



A careful and essentially accurate record of the dairy work of each 

 cow in the herd, at no expense other than that indicated above. 



I have lingered long on this subject and have in the main 

 only emphasized old ideas ; but the better cow is so badly needed 

 and some of these means of more nearly attaining her upon 

 every dairy farm, — and particularly the practicability of setting 

 some of these means into motion — are so ill-appreciated, that in 

 season and out of season, in classroom, institute meeting and at 

 large gatherings such as this, wherever dairy matters are in 

 hand, 1 feel inclined to label this proposition, moldy old chestnut 

 that it is, "Exhibit A" and talk and talk and talk about it. Let 

 us do as well as talk ! We can if we will get ahead in this matter, 

 slowly to be sure, but yet ahead. Let us keep thinking about it! 

 And then let us do as well as think ! 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Carpenter : — In choosing- the sire, wouldn't you go back 

 to the dam that the sire came from or, indeed, for two or three 

 generations ? Would you not thus get better results ? 



Prof. Hills : — The sire is well understood to be half the herd ; 

 and a person who is looking for the best will naturally look for 

 the blood lines of its ancestry. 



Mr. Smith of Morrisville : — As to these Danish associations ; 

 does one man do the work of each association and what is the 

 expense ? 



