FOURTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VIII. 581 



times as much as the other. It is this lack of knowledge of just what 

 the cows are doing that brings the average down to such a low mark. 

 There are hundreds of cow owners that cannot tell within ten or fifteen 

 dollars of what each cow produces during the year. The farmers of the 

 Mississippi Valley are noted for their thrift along other lines. They have 

 improved machinery of every kind. They have bred their horses, hogs 

 and beef cattle until they are the recognized leaders of the world, but the 

 average dairy cow is no better than she was a hundred years ago. 



However, at the present time there is an awakening along dairy lines, 

 and the more progressive are beginning to realize the value of keeping a 

 good cow and the absolute loss in keeping a poor animal. The cow must 

 be considered as a machine for the production of milk and therefore must 

 be disposed of if she does not accomplish her work. Immediate improve- 

 ment of the herd can be best accomplished by weighing and testing the 

 milk of each cow. By doing this the butterfat production of each animal 

 is determined and if at the end of the year some of them fall below a 

 certain standard they should be sold to the butcher. It is well to set some 

 standard and then if our cows fall below it they can be sold or fattened 

 for beef. In attempting to weed out the unprofitable cows, the first step 

 is to weigh the milk. The Dial milk scale, which is generally used, can 

 be hung in a convenient place in the barn and each cow's milk weighed 

 after each milking. The weights are recorded on a record sheet attached 

 to the wall near the scale. These record sheets may either be made at 

 home or printed at a very low cost. They are arranged with the names of 

 the cows at the top and the days of the month at the side, thus furnishing 

 a complete record of the herd for one month. The next step is to take a 

 sample. This must be done carefully in order to get a representative 

 quantity of milk. Probably the best way is to pour the milk from one 

 vessel to another several times and then immediately transfer a portion 

 of it to the sample jar by means of a small dipper. It is very essential to 

 stir the milk before taking a sample, in order to have an even distribution 

 of fat globules. If the milk is allowed to become quiet the fat rises to 

 the surface and if our sample is taken from the top it is high in fat, 

 while if taken from the bottom it is low. The sample jars should be air 

 tight. The most popular jar at the present time is the pint or half-pint 

 milk bottle which has the patent tin lid. These are cheap, durable, and 

 easily cleaned. 



There are two methods of taking samples. One is known as the indi- 

 vidual, while the other is the composite. By the individual is meant a 

 portion of milk taken from a single milking, placed in a jar and tested 

 separately. The composite sample consists of a relative portion of milk 

 taken from several milkings, placed in one bottle and tested collectively. 

 The first method of sampling is the more correct for the average farmer 

 because definite proportions of milk are not necessary. After the samples 

 are properly secured and the milk weighed, it only remains to determine 

 the percentage of fat. This is accomplished by the Babcock test. The 

 operation of the Babcock test is not difficult, although it should be thor- 



