160 LIVESTOCK ON THE FARM 



It seems to the author that, under present concUtions, when 

 more cows come fresh in the spring than in the fall, there is 

 more opportunity for profit from the winter dairy than from 

 the summer dairy. To be sure a better barn is required but 

 the other factors more than overbalance this. 



BUILDING UP A HERD 



It should be the aim of every one in the dairj^ business 

 constantly to build up his herd. This is done in two waj^s: 

 by buying better bulls, and by disposing of the inferior cows. 

 The value of a good sire has been discussed. The inferior 

 cows are culled out by means of the milk test. For this pur- 

 pose the Babcock test is largely used. Some cows may give 

 a large quantity of milk poor in fat and others may give less 

 milk but richer milk, so the only way to find out whether a 

 cow is worth keeping or not is to test her. 



Tests should be made in every herd in the country. Inves- 

 tigation has shown that about one-third of the cows in the 

 herds of the country are non-producers. That is, the cows eat 

 as much as or more than they return in the form of milk. 



To make the test accurately the cows' milk should be 

 weighed at every milking. This is very easily done by hang- 

 ing the pail with the milk on a spring balance in going from the 

 cow to the can where the milk pail is emptied and then record- 

 ing the weight on a sheet handily arranged for the purpose. 

 Once each month for three days the milk from each cow^ is well 

 stirred and sampled. This is put into a bottle with some pre- 

 servative and at the close of this period the whole is tested. 

 The testing may be done at home by the farmer himself or by 

 a regular employee of a testing association or by a creamery. 



For practical purposes good results can be obtained by 

 weighing the milk for about three days of each month when 

 the samples are taken. This should be at a fixed time each 

 month. 



A testing outfit may be purchased from any creamery supply 

 house. A small outfit can be had for a few dollars. To 

 make the test weigh or measure out 18 grams of milk and 

 put this into the test bottle. Then measure out 18 grams of 

 sulphuric acid and pour this into the same bottle in such a 



