356 AGRICULTURE 



3. Judging the Dairy Cow 



Various score-cards are in use for the judging of dairy 

 cows. Judging by use of the score-card trains one in accu- 

 rate observation and judgment, and shows the relative value 

 of the different points. Secure a score-card from your state 

 college of agriculture or the United States Department of 

 Agriculture and learn to use it in judging cattle. 



4. Selecting the Dairy Cow by Milk Tests 



The profit from a dairy cow depends on two factors, 

 (1) the amount of milk produced, and (2) the percentage 

 of butter-fat in the milk. The first of these questions can 

 be determined by weighing the milk ; the second, by testing 

 the milk with the Babcock milk test. 



Testing the milk of different cows. In order to de- 

 termine the record of each cow of the herd, the milk must 

 be weighed and tested regularly throughout the season. The 

 testing and weighing may be done daily, though this fre- 

 quent a test is hardly necessary for practical farm purposes. 

 A plan followed by many farmers is to weigh the milk daily, 

 and test the butter-fat of both night's milk and morning's 

 milk once a month. 



Making the Babcock test for butter-fat. It is not 

 the quantity of milk alone that determines the value of a 

 cow. Practically all milk and cream now sold from the 

 farm for butter-making purposes are paid for, not by weight 

 or bulk, but by the amount of butter-fat they contain. The 

 purpose of the Babcock test is to measure the percentage 

 of butter-fat in milk. Every dairy farm should regularly 

 use this test. 



The materials for making the Babcock test are (1) a 

 hand-power centrifugal tester; (2) two or more milk test- 

 bottles; (3) a pipette to measure the milk; (4) a small glass 



