No. 4.] NEW ENGLAND DAIRYING. 165 



townships. Now, 150 pounds is, I believe, a larger average 

 production than that of any other State in the Union ; yet it 

 is far from what it might be, — far from what it ought to be. 

 It is not a yield which, at present prices for butter, for 

 grain feed and for hired labor, will add largely to our 

 wealth. The margin of profit is dragged down by the keep- 

 ing of unprofitable animals, — cow boarders. 



Before the Babcock test was devised, when ready, cheap 

 and accurate methods of estimating the dairy worth of indi- 

 vidual animals were lacking, there was valid excuse for 

 keeping bovine dead-beats ; but no man of even ordinary 

 intelligence can plead inability to-day. A simple test is at 

 hand, one that requires but a minimum outlay of time, 

 money, knowledge and brains. Many a man who has used 

 the Babcock test in a proper manner to determine the merits 

 of his various animals has made more money with half his 

 herd than formerly when the barn was full. Some years 

 ago the dairyman of the Vermont Experiment Station left 

 us to become dairyman on the Long Island estate of Mr. W. 

 K. Vanderbilt. Soon after entering upon his new employ 

 he wrote me as follows: "The Babcock test has killed a 

 dozen of our cows. Mr. Vanderbilt says he cannot aftbrd 

 to keep cows which do not pay their way." If we may 

 judge by the actions of many of our dairymen not only in 

 New England but the world over (and Ave must remember 

 that actions speak louder than words), — if, I say, we may 

 judge by their actions, there are thousands of dairymen who 

 can afford to keep cows which Mr. Vanderbilt is unable to 

 keep. The very first step which should be taken by every 

 dairyman whose average production per cow is under 200 

 pounds, is to grade up his herd by purchase or by breeding, 

 or both, as seems most expedient. The purchase of a good 

 bull is usually the first move, followed by good care and 

 judicious feeding of such cows as are worthy of it. May I 

 not suggest here, moreover, that the raising of a larger pro- 

 portion of the calves now slaughtered would be in the direc- 

 tion of wisdom? Recent statistics taken by the State Board 

 of Agriculture of Vermont show a marked decrease in the 

 number of dairy cows in that State. This decrease is 

 brought about more particularly because of large sales to 



