ELEVENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XI 637 



except in cases where two men with small herds live very close together 

 so that it is possible to test hoth herds in one day. On such farms 

 the regular milking time is fixed so that the tester can attend to the 

 weighing and testing in the first herd and still have time to get to the 

 second herd by the regular milking hour. In addition to the $1 a cow, 

 the farmer pays a membership fee of 25 cents yearly. This money, 

 which for twenty-six members amounts to $6.50, is used for paying inci- 

 dental expenses, postage, cost of sulphuric acid, etc. 



THE TESTING OUTFIT. 



A testing outfit consists of a 12-bottle Babcock tester with glassware, 

 two "shotgun" cans in which to weigh the milk, a spring balance, a 

 "milk thief," and the necessary books and record blanKs. The outfit, 

 with the Babcock tester, is usually furnished by the state authorities, 

 but in case it must be purchased by the association assessments have 

 to be levied for this purpose unless the number of cows is great enough 

 so that it can be paid for out of the fund collected at the rate of $1 a 

 cow. The necessary books and blanks have in some cases been provided 

 by the United States Department of Agriculture until such time as 

 the states have appropriations from which to supply these. The states 

 of Michigan, Wisconsin, Vermont, Ohio, Iowa and Maine now have pro- 

 vision for supplying this material to associations within their own borders. 



QUALIFICATIONS OF THE TESTER. 



The cow tester has much to do with the successful working of an 

 association. He should be well fitted temperamentally and should have 

 had special training for the work. Punctuality, regularity, and accuracy 

 are of great importance, for unless he has these qualities the records 

 may not be a true indication of the value of the respective cows. The 

 tester should also have the ability to advise and teach the farmers, and 

 for this reason it is necessary that he he constituted temperamentally to 

 give advice in such a manner that it will he accepted and followed. 



The work of a cow-testing association depends largely for its success 

 upon the capability, reliability, and conscientiousness of the tester; but, 

 on the other hand, the result of this work depends also upon the mem- 

 bers. They should be willing to profit by the lessons which the cow 

 testing teaches and ready to put into effect such changes in feeding, 

 stabling, and operation of the dairy as the records show will be profit- 

 able. 



In this country, as well as in Europe, the position of cow tester offers 

 excellent opportunities for dairy students to gain practical experience 

 and is the best ki'nd of school to fit them for responsible positions in 

 connection with dairy work. 



ACCURACY OF RESULTS OBTAINED EY VARIOUS TESTING METHODS. 



Through the kindness of Prof. T. L. Haecker, access was had to the 

 records kept of the production of the herd at the Minnesota State Ex- 

 periment Station, St. Paul, Minn., where weights and Babcock tests of 

 every milking of each cow in the herd have been recorded for nearly 

 twenty years. The accuracy of the method used by the cow-testing assoc- 



