MILK-TESTING .\.\i DAIRY RECORDS. 13 



in the bottom. \Y,-isli in hot water to which a small quantity of soda, borax, or 

 some other alk.-ili has been added. A lesi-bot 1 1<> brush will lx> t'oiind very useful to 

 swab out the uecks of the ionics Muring the process. Rinse the bottles in hot soft 

 water. 



MILK RECORDS. 



The farmers of Uritish Columbia are realizing the importance and possibilities 

 of systematic improvement of their dairy herds. How to increase the profits from 

 our cows is a problem of growing importance, if wo wish to keep up with the 

 gradual increase in the price of feedstuffs and other factors which increase the 

 cost of producing milk and butter-fat. The factor which finally determines whether 

 a dairy is on a paying or losing basis is the amount of milk and butter-fat that each 

 individual cow in Iho herd produces. This is the first step in herd improvement. 

 Then, if we keep cost accounts of the feed consumed, we can readily determine the 

 relative cost of producing a pound of butter-fat or a gallon of milk. 



VALUE OF DAIRY RECORDS. 



Records of the performance of dairy cows form the only accurate and safe 

 basis for judging their value. Improvement depends largely upon culling the herd 

 and getting rid of the unprofitable animals. 



From the breeder's standpoint, records are especially valuable in assisting in 

 finding purchasers for their stock. The discriminating buyer of to-day insists upon 

 seeing records of dairy performance before purchasing. 



A record is also of givat help to the feeder, as it enables him to feed each 

 <-o\\ according to her milk yield. This is the only way to feed most economically. 

 A daily milk record enables the dairyman to detect the approach of sickness in a 

 cow. so that treatment may be begun early. 



It is well known that there is great difference in the amount of milk different 

 cows will produce. One cow may produce from two to three times as much milk 

 and butter in a year as another on a third to a half as much feed. One cow may 

 be losing the dairyman as much money as another is making for him. Again, a 

 cow may give a largo tlow of thin milk for three or four months, and for the 

 remainder of her lactation period she may give only a small tlow. Another cow 

 may give a fair amount of rich milk during her entire lactation period, and in the 

 xear's work may prove to be much more profitable. 



Records of dairy performance are much more easily kept than is generally 

 supposed, and the time and cost of keeping them is so small as to be only a trifle 

 in comparison with their value. 



NECESSARY EQUIPMENT. 



The necessary equipment to enable the dairyman to determine whether or not 

 his COWS are profitable consists of: 



(1.) Scal.-s. ( Fig. 8.) 



(2.) Milk sheets. 



(3.) Uabco.k testing outfit. 



(4.) A sample bottle for each < -ow to be tested, i Fig. 0.) 



(..".) Preservative tablets. 



(0.) A small dipper il <>/.. Capacity) for taking samples, i Fig. 10.) 



