ARGENTINA - CO-OPERATION AND ASSOCIATION 



improvement of butchers' beasts, to which the cold storage system is 

 giving continually increasing inportance, but this has in no way tended to 

 discourage the scientific improvement of dairy cows, as the increase of this 

 industry is considered one of the most effectual means for the exten- 

 sion of agriculture. 



In recent years, there has been a movement in favour of cow testing 

 societies, led by Dr. Pedro Berges. 



These associations, very widely spread, as we know, in the countries 

 where the dairy industry has made the greatest progress, Denmark, Switzer- 

 land, Germany etc., are formed amongst the owners of cows, and their 

 object is to increase the production of milk and the percentage of butter 

 fat in it, and to diminish the cost price, by means of the selection and 

 scientific feeding of the cattle. For the purpose, the milk of each cow is 

 periodically weighed and analysed and the food consumed by it is weighed. 

 Hence the improvement or the loss in the case of each cow can be measured. 



In Europe, it is generally the Hvestock improvers who found these 

 societies on their own initiative : but in Argentina, where livestock 

 improvement presents special conditions and where the spirit of association 

 is still weak (i), it was not easy for these associations to be formed 

 by the producers themselves. Therefore appeal was made first of all to 

 the large butter factories of the country, which have the greatest 

 interest in the development of the cow testing societies. The butter 

 manufacturers, who have various steam creameries in different districts, 

 are always endeavouring to increase the amount of cream they treat, so 

 as to reduce the cost. 



It is therefore entirely to their interest that the producers should sup- 

 ply the largest possible quantity of milk for the longest period of the year, 

 and that the milk should contain the largest possible percentage of butter 

 fat : this can only be effected with the help of cow testing associations. 



The manufacturers welcomed the proposal of contributing to the found- 

 ation of such institutions. In September, 1911, the " Germania " Cow 

 Testing Association was constituted among the suppHers of milk to the 

 Germania and Gunther creameries (district of Gral-Pinto, Province of 

 Buenos Aires), belonging to the River Plate Dairy Company I^imited. This 

 company places at the disposal of the society the creamery buildings and 

 plant, as well as the staff for the inspection of the livestock etc. 



In 1912, also with the help of the River Plate Company, another simil- 

 ar society was founded at Bell Ville (Province of Cordoba). 



Encouraged by the success of these first experiments, the promoters of 

 the movement endeavoured to interest the public authorities in it. The 

 Government of the Province of Buenos-Aires instructed Dr. Pedro Ber- 

 ges to found three societies of the kind. 



The first was founded in December, igi2 at Estacion Banchos (district 

 of Graal-Paz), with the assistance of the local butter factory : the other two 



(i) See in the number of this Bulletin for December, 1913, the article " The Co-op- 

 erative, Movement in Argentine Agriculture." 



