TWENTIETH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VI 535 



WORK OF THE IOWA STATE DAIRY 

 ASSOCIATION 



By E. S. Estel, State Dairy Expert 



The work of the Iowa State Dairy Association during the past year 

 has been largely devoted to the organization of Dairy Calf Clubs. This 

 movement has proven popular with many communities because it furnished 

 a quick, efficient, and economical means of establishing better dairy 

 herds. Although the unprofitableness of the low-producing cows and 

 the increased value of the high producer has been urged upon the farmers 

 of the state at many meetings conducted by the Association the realization 

 of these facts was not forcefully brought to the attention of the producers 

 until the extreme shortage of labor and the high cost of feeding during the 

 past two years. These conditions have caused many dairymen to in- 

 vestigate the profitableness of their cows and have resulted in an in- 

 creased sale of the unprofitable members of the herd. In order to replace 

 as many of the animals sold in this way with dairy cattle of greater 

 producing capacity, high grade and pure bred Dairy Calf Clubs have 

 been organized. 



A detailed description of the manner in which these clubs are organized 

 is given in the attached Iowa State Dairy Association Bulletin No. 7. 



Since the first clubs were organized by the Association in 1917 many 

 changes and improvements have been made to the rules governing the 

 club members. The first clubs were somewhat of an experiment and 

 were not organized in such a manner that as close follow-up work could 

 be conducted as is possible with the clubs organized during the past year. 

 The grade heifers purchased for the clubs in 1917 ranged in age from 6 

 to 8 months and their cost was approximately $48 per head. The heifers 

 were largely purchased in Wisconsin and in the shows which have been 

 held since that time the results in growth and development are very 

 satisfactory. It was found, however, that heifers of this age were rather 

 difficult to purchase in large numbers and that the boys and girls who 

 owned them did not become attached to them as much as they would to 

 younger calves which require more attention. 



Due to these conditions the grade calves purchased during 1918 and 

 1919 have been from 3 to 6 weeks of age. They have been shipped in 

 individual crates by express and, barring a few accidents, have been de- 

 livered to members in good condition. We have been fortunate in getting 

 calves from high grade cows and pure bred sires. They have come from 

 the dairy sections of Wisconsin and are good straight growthy calyes. 

 The .Association, since the spring of 1917, has placed 1,312 high grade 

 heifer calves through calf club organizatibns. Through this movement 



