470 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



gestable form all the nutritive elements required for the body. The 

 increased cost brings us face to face with another question: "How 

 can we reduce this cost of production?" We may, by the use of 

 a silo, nearly double the value of our corn crop, but there is no 

 way to buy bran, gluten and other feeds at less than market price. 



BETTER COWS A NECESSITY 



Recent reports show that a cow that produces four hundred fifty 

 pounds of butter fat per year does so at about half the cost per 

 pound as does the one that only makes two hundred pounds per 

 year. This means that we must have better cows or make no money. 

 The one hundred and fifty and two hundred pound cow must be 

 replaced as soon as possible with those that will yield two hundred 

 and fifty to three hundred and fifty pounds. An increase of fifty 

 pounds per cow would mean an increased income to Iowa of $18,- 

 750.000. We should not be satisfied with this. One hundred pounds 

 per cow is not an extravagant amount to anticipate. This would 

 give the net increase of $37,500,000. How insignificant the small 

 appropriations made for this department appear compared with the 

 former figures. The distribution of this money over our state would 

 mean the betterment of the conditions of every man, woman and 

 child. The general business of the state would receive an impetus. 

 Every man from the common laborer to the merchant, banker or 

 professional man would finally come into his share. 



YEARLY TESTS. 



The Iowa Cow Culture Club and the offering of $1,000 by W. W. 

 Marsh of Waterloo, Iowa, for yearly tests conducted by the Iowa 

 State College at Ames under the supervision of the club, has done 

 a world of good for the dairy interests of our state. We are glad 

 to know this test will continue another year. Other states are now 

 taking up a work along the same plan as it has become a recognized 

 fact that yearly butter records are much more valuable than those 

 of shorter duration. 



