No. 4.] NEW ENGLAND DAIRYING. 179 



editor's query whether he ought to stop trying to reach 

 those farmers who refuse to make of themselves intelligent 

 dairymen, he replied that the paper's course was "not 

 wrong, but blamed foolish." I fear that I have been blamed 

 foolish for spending so much time and rhetoric upon this 

 phase of the subject ; but this dead load of inertia is to me 

 the most discouraging feature of all, — the more so because 

 I see no way of remedying the evil. " Keeping everlast- 

 ingly at it" will diminish their numbers, but can never do 

 away Avith the tribe as a whole. 



I think I need not remark that I do not fail to appreciate 

 the high intelligence, the business ability of thousands of 

 our New England dairymen. My strictures do not apply 

 to them. Yet I plead even to these to make the widest 

 possible use of dairy literature and dairy education, both 

 for their own benefit and that by their study and their prac- 

 tice they may be " a light to lighten the Gentiles." Many 

 will believe a neighbor's say-so who would laugh at the idea 

 if found in a book. Many scorners of experiment station 

 and farm institute work are unconsciously practising the 

 precepts they deride, getting them at second-hand from 

 some townsman. In proportion as we apprehend dairy 

 knowledge, we better our own chances of success and in- 

 directly aid our section to cope with competition more suc- 

 cessfully. 



(b) The Use of the Babcock Test at Factory and Farm. 

 — I have already spoken of the usefulness of the Babcock 

 test as a means of detecting unprofitable cows. Perhaps 

 further reference is uncalled for, yet its potentiality for 

 good is so great that too much emphasis cannot be laid upon 

 its use. Would that more dairymen would try its effects 

 upon their herd and pocket-book. But here, as elsewhere 

 with other things, those most needing its services value 

 them the least. It's the old problem, the one with which 

 we were wrestling a moment ago in a slightly different 

 form, — how to help those who will not help themselves. 

 I believe that a more open and enlightened policy on the 

 part of factory managements would be of marked advan- 

 tage, — that they could well afford to test patrons' cows 

 individually for them at nominal rates. I think a young 



