10 DAIRYING 



146. Benefits of Cow Testing Association to Members, i. The 

 monthly meetings give an opportunity for a discussion and a com- 

 parison of the various herd records, methods of feeding the cows, 

 and of handling the milk. 



2. The members can take advantage of this opportunity to dis- 

 cuss co-operation in buying feed, seed, and other farm supplies. 



3. The records obtained are economically made by a disinterest- 

 ed party, thus giving confidence in them as indicating which cows 

 should be kept and which should be disposed of. 



4. If the traveling representative of the association is well in* 

 formed concerning modern ideas of feeding and other farm opera- 

 tions, his suggestions may be valuable and show that a change of 

 feed or in many cases, more feed, is what is needed to make the cows 

 profitable. 



5. The records will show that there are special characteristics 

 among the cows, some making more milk from a given amount of 

 feed than others ; and that the cost of producing a quart of milk or 

 a pound of butter fat varies with different animals. 



6. Some cows that are large milkers may eat more feed than 

 their milk is worth, and a large flow of milk is not always an indi- 

 cation of a profitable milk producer. 



7. Rich milk does not always indicate a profitable cow. 



8. If the records are studied by the owners they will show the 

 value of definite information and systematic work, and the members 

 of the association will get large returns for the money invested 

 by them. 



147. A veteran organizer of cow testing associations states 

 that success depends largely upon the individuality of the man 

 employed to visit the farms. He must have patience to explain 

 the work repeatedly; he must not be inclined to talk too much; he 

 should be accurate in figures and never urge a farmer to join ^.he 

 association against his will, as such a member may do more harm 

 than good. He should also be ready to supply the farmers with 

 ear tags for their cows if necessary, and in some cases it is better 

 for the traveling representative of the association to furnish his 



