344 FEEDS AND, FEEDING 



returned but $1.20. Dairymen who read dairy papers secured a profit 

 over cost of feed of $14.54 per cow, while those not directly influenced 

 by dairy literature received only $1.85 per cow. 



Such data as these show clearly the necessity of carrying on dairying 

 in an efficient and business-like manner, if a good return is to be made. 



548. Cow-testing associations. The remarkable development of dairy- 

 ing in the Scandinavian countries of northern Europe has been largely 

 due to the work of cow-testing associations. Cow-testing associations are 

 now increasing rapidly in the United States and have already accom- 

 plished much good. In these organizations a trained tester is employed, 

 who spends a day every month with each of the herds in the association. 

 Arriving on the farm in the afternoon he weighs and samples the milk 

 from each cow at milking time. He furthermore weighs the concentrates 

 given each cow and also the roughage which several get and then esti- 

 mates the approximate amount given to each cow in the herd. The fol- 

 lowing morning this is repeated, after which the samples of milk are 

 tested for butter fat. From this day's record he computes the milk and 

 fat production and cost of feed for each cow for the current month. 

 While such records are not as exact as if every milking were weighed, 

 careful studies have shown the results to be within 2 per ct. of the actual 

 production of the cow. The tester also studies the local feed market and 

 aids the dairyman in working out economical rations. Many dairymen 

 who would not test their herds themselves are glad to secure this service 

 at small expense as a member of the association. The improvement 

 wrought by these associations is marvelous. In Denmark, largely due 

 to their work, the average annual yield of butter per cow increased from 

 112 Ibs. in 1884 to 224 Ibs. in 1908. The first association in the United 

 States was organized in Michigan in 1905 by Rabild, later of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture. During the first 8 years the average 

 yield -of butter fat per cow in 7 herds which had been in the association 

 from the beginning, was increased from 231.1 to 284.7 Ibs., and the 

 average net returns over cost of feed were more than doubled. 



549. Official tests and advanced registry of dairy cows. The establish- 

 ment by the dairy breed associations of advanced registers for pure- 

 bred cows is another important development of the dairy industry. 

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

 conducted by representatives of the state experiment stations or of the 

 breed associations has 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 production instead of merely show-ring 

 successes. 



550. Eecords of great cows. Thru skilled breeding combined with ex- 

 pert feeding, truly marvelous records of dairy production have been se- 

 cured. The world's records have been steadily raised during recent 

 years until now Bella Pontiac, a 5-yr.-old pure-bred Holstein, has pro- 



