334 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 June, 1919. 



Kksults of Cow Testino. 



The improvemeut wrought by the Co-operative Herd Testing Asso- 

 ciations has been remarkable. The first association in the United States 

 was organized in Michigan in 1905. During the first eight years the 

 average yield of butter-fat per cow in the association's herds was 

 increased from 231.1 to 284.7, and the average net returns over cost of 

 feed were more than doubled. 



Through the establishment by the Dairy Breeders' Association of 

 advanced registers for pure-bred cows, a great improvement has resulted. 

 Cows are entitled to advanced registry only when their yields in tests 

 conducted by representatives of State Experiment Stations, or of 

 Breeders' Associations, have reached a standard set by the association. 



Entry in these registers increases the money value, not only of the 

 given cow, but also of her relatives, for progressive breeders in buying 

 animals now rely more and more on records of ])roduction and less upon 

 show-ring successes. 



Even in the leading dair}^ States it is estimated that probably one- 

 fourth of the dairy cows fail to pay for their care and feed, due chiefly 

 to the fact that their owners do not know which retuni a profit and which 

 are " boarders." 



Even experts are often unable to tell from appearance alone whether 

 a cow is profitable or not. 



Herd testing alone can determine exactly what each cow produces. 

 Herd testing gives the breeder an opportunity for making great advance? 

 in raising the standard of production of his herd. 



Through skilled breeding, based on herd performance records, com- 

 bined with expert feeding, remarkable records of production have been 

 obtained in the United States. 



Duchess Skylark Onnsby, a pure-bred Holstein, holds the world's 

 record for butter-fat, with a production of 1,20.5.1 lbs., and 2,776 gallons 

 of milk, in a year. 



Tlie world's records for milk production are held by Tilly Alcartra, a 

 Holstein, giving 3,045 gallons of milk, and Zarilda Clothilde 3rd De Kol, 

 giving 3,047 gallons. 



The best Guernsey cow in the United States is Munie Cowan, which 

 produced, at eight years of ^agc, a record of 2,400 gallons of milk, and 

 1,098 lbs. of butter 'fat. 



The best Jersey t^ws, Sophie 19, produced, at seven years, 1,755 

 gallons of milk .and 999 lbs. of butter-fat, and Sophies Agness 1,621.2 

 gallons and 1,000.7 lbs. butter fat. 



The best Ayrshire, Lily of Willowmoor, produced 2,259 gallons of 

 milk and 955 lbs. of butter-fat. 



These records would have been considered impossible of achievement 

 twenty years ago, and had it not been for the wides])read use of herd test- 

 ing, combined with the use of tested bulls from prolific dams, it is doubtful 

 whether the standard of production could have been raised to the high 

 levels of the present day; nor Avould the public have heard of many of 

 these fine cows. 



Despite the fact that at tlie ])resent time there are cows in the United 

 States averaging over 8 gallons of milk per day throughout the year, 

 and yielding 3J lbs. of butter-fat per day througliout the year, the liinit 

 of production has not yet been renched. 



