SEVENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X. 621 



For the dairy farmer, the distinct dairy cow is the only cow to keep; 

 a beef cow is not in the milk business, nor is the dual purpose cow a 

 profitable animal; but worst of all cows is the poor dairy cow; she is 

 the greatest obstacle to profitable dairying. Supposing that the dairy 

 farmer is what he should be, his first step must De to see to it that his 

 cows are what they should be. Any cow making less than 200 pounds 

 of butter per year does not pay for her board and should be sold at 

 once, not to the neighbor but to the butcher; but even 200-pound cows 

 bring small profits and eat as much as a cow giving 300 or 500 pounds 

 of butter and consequently must be reformed. If the farmer does not 

 wish or is not able to buy first-class dairy cows he should at least buy 

 a sire from a herd with a proven record as heavy milkers; several farm- 

 ers can club together to purchase such an animal and thus improve 

 their herds from year to year. In order to find out the cows which 

 live on the fat of the others it is absolutely necessary to have a test- 

 ing machine, a spring balance and record-sheet; each cow's milk should 

 be weighed after each milking, a small sample taken and preserved and 

 a record kept. This should be done for three reasons: First, to weed 

 out the poor cows and learn what each cow is doing; second, to know 

 what you are selling; you would not think of selling a pail full of 

 eggs without knowing how many eggs there are, according to your own 

 count, and not the storekeepers, nor should you sell a can of cream 

 without knowing how many pounds of fat there is in it according to 

 your own testing and not the buyer's only; the last, but not the least, 

 reason is that it will make you interested in your cows and the busi- 

 ness in general and that it is a long step ahead in successful dairying. 

 I wish to impress upon your mind this matter of weighing, sampling, 

 testing and recording the milk in particular. It may seem to be too 

 much trouble to do this work, but once the habit is acquired, it takes 

 but a few minutes of extra time at each milking. I would suggest a 

 convenient and practical way of doing this work and will be glad to 

 give further advice at any time. The necessary outfit consists of a 

 small testing outfit, a springbalance, a small dipper, as many pint jars 

 as you have cows, and some preservative; the whole will cost about 

 $6 or $7 and will prove a splendid investment. A narrow shelf should 

 be constructed on the wall behind the cows to accommodate the pint jars, 

 a nail on the side of the shelf will support the dipper, the spring balance 

 may be hung on a hook in the ceiling; the testing outfit is, best kept 

 at the house. The record sheet can be tacked onto the wall next to 

 the spring balance and when each pint jar is supplied with a tablet of 

 preservative the arrangement is complete. After the milk is drawn, 

 the pail can be hung on the balance and while hanging, a small sample 

 can be taken and put into corresponding jars and the weight put down 

 on the sheet and it is done and only requires a small fraction of a 

 minute. The samples may be tested once in two weeks and. better, 

 every, week, and results also recorded. 



The milking itself plays an important part in the dairy business; 

 the same person should always milk the same cows and at regular 

 hours, with clean, dry hands and as little noise and fuss as possible; 

 strip out every drop; the first of the milk is nearly all water, the last 



