Testing Milk on Ike Farm. 149 



isfactory data as to the total production of milk and 

 butter fat of a cow may be obtained by making correct 

 weighings and tests of her full day's milk once every 

 thirty days. 



i66a. Official tests of dairy cows. The various ex- 

 periment stations conduct tests of dairy cows for breed- 

 ers and farmers, by which means records of production 

 of milk and butter fat are obtained for periods of 7 or 

 30 days, or for an entire year. This system of official 

 testing is described in bulletins issued by several sta- 

 tions. 1 



167. When to test a cow. The Vermont experi- 

 ment station for several years made a special study of 

 the question when a cow should be tested in order to 

 give a correct idea of the whole year's production, when 

 only one or two tests are to be made during the lacta- 

 tion period. 2 The results obtained may be briefly sum- 

 marized as follows: 



a. As to quality of milk produced. If two tests of 

 each cow's milk are to be made during the same lacta- 

 tion period, it is recommended to take composite sam- 

 ples at the intervals given below. 



If only one test is to be made, approximately correct 

 results may be obtained by testing the milk during the 



1 See, e. g., Wis. exp. station bull. 191 and 242: also bull. 226, The 

 Wisconsin Dairy Cow Competition, and research bull. 26, Studies in 

 Dairy Production, published by this station. 



'Sixth report, 1882, p. 106; Ninth report, 1895, p. 176. 



