State Dairy Association. 887 



and help him to figure up just what each cow has made or lost. 

 When we make our second visit we try to find out, not only what 

 each cow in the herd is producing, but how much product was sold 

 for the month, what price was received for it, and what the entire 

 dairy is making or losing. It often happens where farm dairy but- 

 ter is made, that a large per cent of butter fat is being lost in 

 churning, or that a bad quality of butter is being made, and hence 

 it brings a low price. Our purpose for the first month is to find 

 out just what the dairy is doing before any assistance is given. 



But let me tell you something more about the first test made 

 of the herd. It is human nature for us to see the faults of others 

 sooner than of ourselves. The dairyman perhaps reads some of 

 the dairy papers, and sees the startling results of herd testing in 

 various parts of the country; he perhaps goes to the farmers' in- 

 stitute and hears a discussion on the subject which shows what it 

 will do for the dairyman, and he decides, too, that perhaps it is a 

 pretty good thing for the fellow who needs it, but some how it never 

 occurs to him that he is that fellow. His herd is as good as 

 any in that section, for possibly there is none other in that 

 section. But if we can get him to weigh his milk and keep 

 track of the feed used for one month, when we go back and test 

 the herd and figure up just what each animal has made or lost, 

 he is going to see the whole situation in a new light. We then 

 have him at a place where there is no "other fellotv," for the re- 

 sults are made by his own cows, on his own place, and even the 

 figures are his own. He is shown where this cow made a loss of 

 two dollars for the month, that one a loss of three dollars, and still 

 another made a profit of five dollars. He sees that these three cows 

 just broke even for the month, one made a profit of five dollars 

 and the other two lost five dollars. Any man now can clearly see 

 whether it is better to keep all three, or just the good one, and that 

 is just exactly what we are trying to make him see. If there is 

 anything at all in a man, when once he learns this lesson he will 

 never again allow his herd to drift along from year to year with- 

 out knowing what each cow in it is doing. 



If the test confirms our judgment that some of the cows are 

 unfit to be retained in the herd, we urge that they be disposed of 

 as soon as possible, and for any price that they will bring. Others 

 that make no profit that particular month should be given a chance, 

 as conditions may have been against them. If the dairyman shows 

 sufficient interest we then ask him to continue the work of keep- 

 ing records, and promise to return to his place about once a month 



