FARMERS' MONTHLY OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY 



THE PURE BRED BREEDER 

 AND THE COW TESTING 



dairy enterprise is placed upon a business 

 basis and the guess work is taken out of 

 narrow uroopiiig uninf-atnt ituinocv 

 38 is a cunning little soft hat for very 



ASSOCIATION*^'^ ^"■'^- ^"*' winter hats for little 



ildren when ear laps are desirable use 



By O. I-:. ReeJ, Professor of Dairy ^torial Review pattern number 7557, 



Husbandry, Michigan State College ^^ ^^ gj^j^^ ^^^^.^ Poj. ^^^^ j-j.^^ 4 to 



It is quite evident that for the past fewi years, a hat, "not a bit like a girl's" is 

 years some breeders of purebred cattlejrnber 4968. Some adorable little bon- 

 have been taking considerable interest injts for babies up to two years may be si 

 Cow Testing Associations. In many.ade from bits of material one may have ^ 

 quarters leading breeders of Holstein cat-i hand and cut from Pictorial number ^ 

 tie know little about Cow Testing As.so-^26. v 



ciations, and others who have a slight All the patterns have such clear di- | v 

 knowledge of what a Cow Testing Asso-,>ctions that they are not difficult to , ^: 

 ciation is, have a notion that this soi-t ofiake. We know of no better way to save I ^■ 

 a record making institution is primarilyiany dollars, and yet have very smart | \ 

 organized and operated for the benefit of ats, than by making the childi-en's hats. ' ^ 

 the owner of grade cattle. The last no-' one thinks .she hasn't a knack at trim- ^ 

 tion was (|uite definitely expressed at theijng she should follow quite closely the 

 last annual meeting which was held atjggestions and illustration on the pat- 

 Grand Rapids, Michigan. Tn and by keeping the hats simple, she 



There is another notion held by soniemnot go far wrong. Be sure to order 

 that the Cow Testing Association isy head size (taken around the head 

 designed to take the place of the Ad- here the hat is worn) as children of the 

 vanced Registry system. Some breedersime age may have quite varying head 

 feel that the Advanced Registry record iszes. 



suflncient and that a Cow Testing Asso- The latest patterns for hats by But- 

 ciation is simply a duplication of record;rick arc number 6.327 for girls from 

 making and not as eflncient since the Cow to 12; a six gored soft crown, number 

 Testing Association records arc not rec-323, for boys from 2 to 8 years. There 

 ognized by the National breed as.socia-, also one for ladies and misses, num- 

 tions. er 6359, also six gored and a narrow 



For the benefit of those who do notrim rolled in front. This requires 'i 

 know what a Cow Testing As.sociation i-'ard of 40 in. silk or satin, I yard of 

 I will try to explain in a few words the7 in. velvet, and I yard 35 in. duve- 

 plan of organization, purpose and aims ofj,n. 

 an association. The September Good Housekeeping 



A Cow Testing Association, as knownmgazine offers one or two remarkably 

 in this country, is an organization ofood hat patterns for ladies and mi.s.ses. 



about twenty-six farmers who employ a 



tester to keep milk and butterfat records, 



feed records, and prepare an income 



statement (only feed costs considered) on When jireparing lettuce, cabbage or 



all the cows in their herds. The testeriuliflower, after washing well let stand • 



visits each farm one day in a monthi cold water to which a handful of salt 



and gathers the information for his cal-as been added. This will cause any 



culations. In addition to keeping theseugs or worms to leave the vegetable and 



HOUSEHOLD HINTS 



The breeder of purebred cattle needs 

 the most accurate information he can ob- 

 tain if he is to make the greatest progress 

 in his breeding work. 



It is difficult to judge of a cow's ability 

 to produce when only one record is availa- 

 ble. In the mad rush to get the most out 

 of a cow and place her in the "upper 

 class" the yearly record finally made 

 more often represents a longer period 

 than 365 days of the cow's life. It is 

 astonishing when we look into the facts. 

 Many cows are dry for months before 

 they start in on their world breaking rec- 

 ord and many never calve again. Do 

 such records represent one or more year's 

 production? 



The writer had occasion recently to 

 make a study of this situation with the 

 animals in one large herd. 



Private records, sucli as Cow Testing 

 Association records, have been kept in 

 this herd for more than five years. 

 These yearly records were tabulated for 

 each cow by years, beginning on January 

 1st and closing December 31st. For the 

 five years the average records for twelve 

 months on all cows amounted to 9,800 lbs. 

 of milk and 324.8 lbs. of butterfat. These 

 cows also made Advanced Registry rec- 

 ords during this same five-year period. 

 All cows were not kept on Advanced 

 Registry test during the entire time but 

 several cows were tested at a time accord- 

 ing to the usual custom. When a cow 

 freshened just right she was placed on 

 Advanced Registry test. Taking only 

 the best Advanced Registry test for each 

 of these cows the average for all cows 

 amounts to 12,986 lbs. of milk and 428.9 

 lbs. of butterfat per year. 



Which figure shall be used as a guide 

 in breeding operations — the actual figure 

 of 324.8 lbs. which represents the average 

 production for twelve months for a num- 

 ber of years or the figure obtained when 

 the cows were in the pink of condition be- 

 fore being tested with several months' 

 rest to their credit before making the 

 higher record and in many cases a long 

 dry period after the record was complete? 

 The best way to determine the real 

 value of a breeding bull is to obtain a rec- 

 ord on all of his daughters and compare 

 these with the records of their dams. 



records the tester computes balanced ra-sme to the surface. It is well to always 

 tions for each owner and makes sugges-ave on hand some coarse bag or rock 

 tions relative to the care and manage-alt for such purposes as this, 

 ment of the cows wherever this informa- When slicing apples in quantity put 

 tion is needed or desired. With this inhem into water to which a small amount 

 formation at hand the dairyman can eli-f salt has been added — two teaspoons to 

 minate the poor cows in his herd and feec quart. This will keep them from turn- 

 the individual cows more intelligently, ng black. The small amount of salt 

 The Association operates on a yearl/l^i^h clings to the apple adds to the fla- 

 basis. At the end of the twelfth month"'' 



the books are closed and the owner has ",^¥fc "^iivklu '"Onli. cabbage^_or_ onions 

 an exact statement on each individual made that some herd of grade cows woulc? 

 cow for the year. He knows just how ' make better records. The purebred is go^ 

 much milk and butterfat each cow has ing to win finally on her merits, but un-^ 

 produced and what it has cost him as far fair testing and withholding the actual! 



as feed is concerned. At the end of each facts about the herd will destroy confi^ EDWARD L. SHAW, President 

 successive year he knows whether his dence. Purcbreds are better than graded 



when a fair comparison is made. How-; 



ever, there are many scrubs kept in; 



dairy herds and saved from the butcher. 



just because they are registered as pure-i 



breds. 



half million 



Savings Department 

 Interest payable quarterly 



cows are getting better or falling behind. 

 He knows just what the cows are return- 

 ing him for the feed they consume, wheth- 

 er he is getting the market price for this 

 feed or more or less. In others words his 1 



N. KNEELAND, Vice-President 

 BEKT I. ARNOLD. Cashier 



