146 



DAIRY CATTLE AND MILK PRODUCTION 



ing the monthly tests, and dividing by the number made, 

 does not give a true average, but usually a figure somewhat 

 too high, since the amount of milk usually is small when the 

 per cent of fat runs the highest. 



Danish Test Associations. So far the American farmer 

 has been slow to carry out the details of keeping records of 

 individual cows in his herds, even when he is convinced that 

 it should be done. In Denmark, where the same necessity 

 for selecting individual cows was recognized earlier and was 

 even more important than here on account of the higher 

 priced land and more expensive feeds, a system of cooperative 

 test associations has been adopted, which seems to solve the 

 difficult problem of getting this work done. The first cow- 

 testing association was established at Askov, Denmark, in 

 1895. 1 The plan was at once successful, and spread rapidly 

 over Denmark and into other nations as well. The following 

 data 2 give the number organized up to 1904. 



1 Buer, Die danischen Kontrollvereine. 



* Bui. 137, Michigan Dairy and Food Department, 1907. 



