Missouri State Dairy Association. 411 



the herds owned by the members each month and makes a test 

 of the cows for the owners. This has increased the interest until 

 it is nothing unusual to find two or three cows in a herd under- 

 going a register of merit under practical conditions. 



These methods and conditions have resulted in bringing up 

 the standard of cows to a point that most of them make a net 

 profit each year of $85 to $100 from the sale of cream to cream- 

 eries. The increase of the herd, value of skim milk and value 

 of manure paying for feed and labor on cows. When a cow is 

 found that is not paying a reasonable profit she is immediately 

 disposed of. 



Many have pure bred and registered herds. They all be- 

 lieve that the bull is half the herd, and those who have not pure- 

 bred herds at least have good registered bulls and are particular 

 to know that they come from splendid cows and are sired by 

 bulls of real merit. They realize that there is a vast difference 

 between breeding intelligently and breeding in a haphazard way 

 to any old thing, so it's handy. They believe in carefully se- 

 lecting animals for breeding, thereby reducing the likelihood of 

 defects rather than intensifying them. 



So, after many years of constant dairying in that state, the 

 dairymen are more convinced today than ever before that their 

 motto of "feeding, weeding and breeding" is the key to the 

 success of this industry. 



Thirty-five years ago the farmers of Wisconsin were not 

 making the dairy industry a business. They were raising crops 

 and hauling them to market. In the course of time they real- 

 ized their soil was becoming depleted and in many cases their 

 farms would not return the seed that was sowed on them. 

 Farm lands were sacrificed and many farmers left the country. 

 Those who remained were forced to turn their attention to new 

 methods, something that would prove remunerative and at the 

 same time replenish the soil. The dairy industry was adopted, 

 and for the past thirty years this industry has advanced by 

 leaps and bounds until today Wisconsin leads every state in the 

 Union in the output of dairy products. 



THE DAIRY COW GIVEN FIRST PLACE. 



As more farmers became engaged in dairying they soon 

 realized they were producing more dairy products than could 

 be profitably disposed of in their local markets, and through 

 the establishing of creameries and cheese factories, where they 



