626 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



explained how records of the individual performances of the cows could be 

 obtained, and the result was that 14 farmers agreed to weigh the milk 

 from each cow and send samples of it to the creamery. The creamery 

 manager, Mr. Hansen, determined its richness by the Fjord centrifugal 

 cream tester and published the record of the milk and butter yield from 

 each cow, as well as the feed consumed. Shortly thereafter, and as a re- 

 sult of this, those men who had kept records formed the Kildebrond Bull 

 Association, with the object of improving their herds. 



State Counselor Frederik Hansen, a dairy expert employed by the gov- 

 ernment and the owner of a dairy farm, had for several years studied the 

 richness of the milk of individual cows by occasionally taking samples to 

 the creamery for testing, and he had begun weeding out the animals in 

 his herd which gave poor milk, thereby increasing the richness of the 

 herd"s milk. His neighbors who sent milk to the same creamery, noticing 

 the increase in richness of the milk from his herd, began to inquire into 

 the cause of it, and when sufficient interest had developed Mrs. Hansen, 

 his wife, suggested that an association be formed in the neighborhood for 

 the purpose of investigating the richness of the milk of individual cows 

 and the economy of their production, so that each member of this associ- 

 ation might obtain the same benefit that Mr. Hansen had derived from 

 such investigations. 



A meeting was called for this purpose January 23, 1895, on the farm of 

 Soren Peter Knudsen, at Lille Skovgaard, Vejen, and the first cooperative 

 cow-testing association was .organized A dairy expert was employed to 

 make examination of the richness of the milk with the Gerber butyro- 

 meter and keep the milk and feed records. Active operations began May 

 1, 1895, with 13 members, and so satisfactory have 'been the results that 

 the association now numbers 24 members, with 522 cows, and employs 

 two men as cow testers. 



GROWTH OF THE MOVEMENT. 



Another association was organized later during the same year, and 

 since then the movement has grown wonderfully. From Denmark it has 

 spread to other European countries. 



The following table shows the growth of the cow-testing movement in 

 Europe. The figures given show the number of associations in the various 

 countries, by years: 



