24 Milk Records. 



purpose. Those who already weigh the cow's milk do not see 

 the force of paying someone else to check their work, while, as 

 mentioned above, those who do not keep records are chary 

 of making a beginning. 



The question of expense undoubtedly is a deterrent. The 

 cost of a society consisting of from twenty to twenty-five 

 members, including salary of secretary and all other outgoings, 

 cannot be much less than from 1001. to 125Z. per annum, or, in 

 other words, 5Z. per member. If a grant of two-fifths of this 

 amount were made from the Development Fund the cost to the 

 members would still be ?>l. per herd. This sum a farmer might 

 at fii'st hesitate to put down, although after a year or two he 

 would, I feel sure, be glad to do so. Where the herd consists 

 of a large number of cows the cost could not be said to be 

 excessive, but where there are only ten or a dozen cows on 

 the farm it undoubtedly appears heavy. The question of 

 charging ^:(e/* capita is difficult, because the expense of weighing 

 the milk of a large herd is no more than that of a small one, 

 as the secretary could in ordinary circumstances onlj^ under- 

 take one herd in the day. Even where sampling and testing 

 has to be done the only extra expense with a large herd 

 would be the cost of material for the tests. 



I have called special attention to this difficulty, because the 

 question of cost is undoubtedly a stumbling block in the first 

 instance. If two or three neighbouring farmers in various parts 

 of the country could be persuaded to form small societies 

 amongst themselves, undertaking occasionally to check each 

 other's records, a beginning might be made. The milk need 

 only be weighed one day in the week, and no sampling or test- 

 ing should be attempted. If at the same time books to contain 

 these weekly records could be provided free by the Board of 

 Agriculture, as is done by the Irish Department, or at cost price, 

 the uniformity of such records would be assured. A condition 

 might be made in giving such books that they should be open 

 to an inspector of the Board of Agriculture, or an officer of the 

 County Council, at any time upon due notice, which would 

 accustom the farmer to that inspection which at the present 

 time he does not care for. Such voluntary societies as this 

 would cost little or nothing, and I am satisfied that the 

 resulting good would soon show itself, as my experience tells 

 me that no one who has once taken the trouble to keep milk 

 records will willingly abandon them. 



I have said nothing as to the lessons and hints, both in 

 breeding and feeding, that can be obtained from a study of 

 milk records and a comparison of the individual performances 

 with the particular animals in a herd, because I should be 

 going beyond the scope of this article ; but I know that far 



