92 ANNUAL EEPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



increase in butterfat production and by a decrease in milk pro- 

 duction. The larger cows excelled the medium and small cows in 

 production of milk and butterfat. The results of this work are being 

 prepared for publication. 



COOPERATIVE BULL ASSOCIATIONS. 



Bull associations have been found an inexpensive but very success- 

 ful means of improving dairy cattle, and have therefore been very 

 popular in sections wdiere dairying is a new industry and the farm- 

 er's resources are limited. A greater number of really substantial 

 cooperative bull associations have been formed this year than in any 

 previous year since the movement started in this country, for out 

 of a total of 82 associations now in operation 40 were organized 

 during -the past year. This w^ork has been especially successful in 

 the South. Eequests for assistance from many States resulted in 

 the selection of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and 

 Tennessee for association work. Associations w^ere formed in each 

 of these States except one. Work in the Western States was 

 hampered by the lack of a director part of the year, but during the 

 last six months of the year four substantial associations were or- 

 ganized, one each in Montana, Washington, Wyoming, and Oregon. 



COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN DAIRYING. 



The project in community dairy development at Grove City, Pa., 

 which w^as organized a few years ago as a means of demonstrating 

 the 'value of intensive w^ork in developing dairy communities, has 

 now passed the experimental stage and has show^n its value as a con- 

 structive influence in dairying. Many farmers, county agents, and 

 bankers from all over the country have made inquiries or have 

 visited Grove City w^ith the idea of undertaking similar develop- 

 ment in their localities. In this enterprise the department has 

 worked in cooperation with patrons of the creamery, and with the 

 local breedei-s' associations, the commercial club, and the local 

 banks. The past year w^itnessed the building of 21 silos and the 

 improvement of farm buildings of 112 of the creamer}^ patrons. 



The accredited-herd pla.n for eradicating tuberculosis and main- 

 taining herds free from that disease has been well received. In 

 the Grove City area 327 herds are under supervision of the Bureau 

 of Animal Industry and the Pennsylvania State live-stock sanitary 

 board. Four new clubs having for their object the development, 

 improvement, exhibition, and sale of tuberculosis-free cattle have 

 been organized. 



Other cattle clubs organized in previous years have generally 

 shown increased membership. The cow-testing association has been 

 reorganized with 39 members and 411 cows. Interest in purebred 

 dairy cattle has continued to increase; 58 of the creamer^^ patrons 

 purchased 133 registered dairy females and 48 patrons purchased 

 purebred bulls. 



SUPPRESSION OF INFECTIOI^S DISEASES IN DAIRY HERDS. 



In connection with the w^ork relative to cow-testing and bull asso- 

 ciations, work of an educational nature has been done to further the 

 prevention and eradication of tuberculosis and contagious abortion. 



