10 Feb., 1916.] Herd Improvement. 91 



Having selected or being possessed of a herd, the value of each cow 

 should be proved by weighing and testing the milk. It is not possible 

 to state the earnings of a cow by inspection ; no one can enter a yard 

 and definitely state what each cow is earning. It does not follow that 

 because a large amount of milk is given by a cow that she is the most 

 profitable in the herd, nor does a high test indicate a high value. It 

 is the amount of buttei- fat which counts. Where hand milking is 

 practised the better method is to weigh after each milking, and make a 

 record of such weight. This method is both instructive and interesting. 

 It shows the effect upon the milk yield of any change in feed, and 

 rapidly reveals whether any change or increase in feed produces an 

 increase in milk sufficient to pay for the cost. The system of record- 

 ing gives a definite value for milk production of any food, and raises 

 it above conjecture or guess work. It eliminates from dairy practice 

 the pernicious habit of " guess and trial." Likewise it is a sure index 

 to sickness in the herd, because frequently in the incipient stages thf 

 decrease in yield is not so marked as to be observed by the casual 

 milker. A working method, giving an approximate return, is to weigh 

 one day each month ; multiply this amount by the number of days in 

 month, when the sum may be taken as the approximate monthly yield. 

 The test should be made each month. 



The object of record keeping is practical. It shows — 



(1) Whether the cows keep the farm, or whether the farm keeps 



the cows. 



(2) Which cows are paying for their feed and labour, and which 



are unprofitable. In every unculled herd there are cows 

 which do not pay for their keep. They not only con- 

 sume food from which no adequate return is received, but 

 use food which, if given to other cows in the herd, would 

 return a greater profit. The unprofitable take food from 

 the profitable. 



(3) From which cows heifer calves should be reared to increase 



the herd, or to replace the unprofitable. Many a good 

 old cow is culled simply because she is old and replaced by 

 a young duffer. Cows should be culled on their returns, 

 and not on their years. This year (1915) a 16-year-old cow 

 gave 471 lbs. butter fat in nine months, and last year in 

 the same time gave 523 lbs. butter fat. 

 A second factor in the improvement of the dairy cow was the use 

 of dairy bulls from proved milking strains. 



The trite saying " the bull is half the herd " is less than half the 

 truth. The bull either increases or decreases the milking qualities of 

 his stock; in other words, the bull either makes the herd profitable 

 or unprofitable. The bull is more important than the cow. Each 

 cow can influence one calf each season. The bull may transmit his 

 qualities, good or bad, to each of his calves. If under similar condi- 

 tions the heifers are to be more profitable than their dams, the increased 

 profit must come through the bull, consequently too much care cannot 

 be given to liis selection. Whilst dairy type as indicitive of milking 

 quality pos:??sses some value in the cow. it is n'ucli less in tlie bull. 

 It does not necessarily follow that becausp a ])ull ]>rpspiits a nice a|>pear- 

 ance, is deep in llic fl;)iik, level on td]) lino, lengthy between hip and 



