MILK 221 



bers were readily found, and the association is now able to get more- 

 members than it can take care of. 



Method of Organizing. The usual way of organizing an asso- 

 ciation has been to ascertain the extent of the interest in dairying 

 in a community, and to call a meeting and explain the merits of the 

 cow-testing association as an institution. If enough interest is ex- 

 hibited to warrant going on with the work, a temporary organiza- 

 tion is effected, and the neighborhood is thoroughly canvassed dur- 

 ing the following few days in search of additional members for the 

 association. When enough have been secured a second meeting is 

 called, at which the organization is perfected, officers elected, and 

 by-laws adopted. 



In order to support a cow-testing association it is necessary that 

 there should be 26 herds, conveniently located, and a sufficient num- 

 ber of cows so that the tester can get a reasonably good salary. As 

 it is each member's duty to furnish the tester's conveyance to his 

 next place of work, it is necessary that the farms of the members be 

 located near enough together so he can be conveyed without incon- 

 venience. A distance of 2 miles is not too great to give satisfaction, 

 and the conveyance is often furnished by some passer-by. If the 

 cow tester keeps his own horse and buggy, as is the case in some asso- 

 ciations, a larger territory is usually accommodated. In such cases 

 the members must furnish feed and stabling for his horse. The 

 charge to the farmer is usually $1 a year for each cow. This money 

 constitutes the pay of the tester; and it is desirable that there should 

 be not less than 400 cows in an association, in which case the tester 

 gets $400 a year. In addition he gets his board and lodging free of 

 charge at the farm where he is working. There being only twenty- 

 six working days in a month, it is not possible to have more than 26 

 members, except in cases where two men with small herds live very 

 close together so that it is possible to test both herds in one day. 

 On such farms the regular milking time is fixed so that the tester can 

 attend to the weighing and testing in the first herd and still have 

 plenty of time to get to the second herd by the regular milking hour. 

 In addition to the $1 a cow, the farmer pays a membership fee of 

 25 cents yearly. This money, which for 26 members amounts to 

 $6.50, is used for paying incidental expenses, postage, cost of sul- 

 phuric acid, etc. 



The Testing Outfit. A testing outfit consists of a 12 j bottle 

 Babcock tester with case and glassware, a shotgun can fitted up with 

 3 trays containing sample bottles, a spring balance, a milk thief, a 

 thermometer, a pair of dividers, and the necessary books and record 

 blanks The outfit, with the Babcock tester, is sometimes furnished 

 by the State authorities, but in case it must be purchased by the as- 

 sociation assessments have to be levied for this purpose unless the 

 number of cows is great enough so that it can be paid out of the fund 

 collected at the rate of $1 a cow. The necessary books and blanks 

 have in some ca.es been provided by the United States Department of 

 Agriculture until such time as the States have appropriations from 

 which to supply these. The States of Michigan, Wisconsin, Ver- 



