DAIRY FARMING DAIRYING. 593 



Systems for keeping milk and butter records, C. F. Doaxk ( Maryland Sta. 

 Bid. 94, pp. ■-'•', figs. 3). — The author points out the advantages of keeping dairy 

 records, and describes and illustrates practical methods for this purpose. 



A portion of the bulletin is devoted to a discussion of the possibility of obtaining 

 an approximately average test of the performance of cows by testing only once, 

 twice, or three times during the lactation period. It is considered obvious that one 

 test made during the first month could not be depended upon, and that tests made 

 during the second and third months would usually be lower and during the last 

 .". months higher than the average yearly test. 



In order to determine if one test made near the middle of a lactation period, or if 

 a combination of tests for 2 or 3 months would give reliable results, a table was pre- 

 pared showing the variations of the monthly tests from the average yearly tests for 

 22 cows of the station herd during 1 to 4 lactation periods. The monthly tests were 

 made from a composite sample representing the night and morning's milk for 

 from 5 to 7 days. The average monthly variations from the yearly tests were as 

 follows: Second month —0.14, third month —0.06, fourth month —0.008, fifth 

 month —0.01, sixth month 4-0.008, seventh month +0.01, eighth month +0.08, 

 ninth month +0.2. Combinations of the third and eighth months and of the second 

 and eighth months varied, respectively, +0.01 and +0.03. 



Combinations of the fourth and seventh months, of the second, fifth, and ninth 

 months, and of the third, sixth, and eighth months corresponded with the yearly 

 average. The author believes "a system for testing that can be depended on to give 

 an average within 0.4 per cent of the actual yearly average in all, or nearly all, cases 

 is sufficiently accurate for practical purposes." 



As regards the single test, the average results for any month between the second 

 and ninth come within the limit of variation assumed as allowable. A considera- 

 tion of the individual records, however, shows many variations greater than 0.4. On 

 the whole the seventh month gave the best results, though it is considered evident 

 that where a cow comes near the line of profit or loss a single test can not be 

 depended upon for furnishing an accurate basis for judging her value. Where 2 

 tests were made the best results were obtained by combining the third and eighth 

 months. A combination of the second, fifth, and ninth months showed, according 

 to the author, but one serious variation and that was considered due to an abnormal 

 test. A combination of the third, sixth, and eighth months showed no serious vari- 

 ation. Either of these two combinations is considered as insuring results that can 

 be depended upon as giving a fair basis for estimating the value of a cow. 



Milking cows by electricity, S. P. Warner ( U. S. Dept. Cam. and Labor, Mo. 

 Consular Epts., No. 286 p. 147). — A consular report referring briefly to a newly 

 invented electrical apparatus claimed to be more effective than milking by hand and 

 also to insure absolute cleanliness. 



The milking trials of 1903, F. J. Lloyd (Jour. British Dairy Farmers' Assoc, 18 

 [1904), pp. 95-121). — Two-day tests of 63 cows, made at the dairy show of the British 

 Dairy Farmers' Association of 1903, are reported in detail, and the data furnished 

 for such tests made during a series of years are arranged by breeds and summarized 

 in the following table. 



