4 BULLETIN 1071, XJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



spring ranked first in only 7. It is also worthy of note that in milk 

 production spring and summer ranked third and fourth in most of 

 the cases. 



Table 4 shows the number of times each season ranked first, 

 second, third, and fourth in butterfat production: 



Table 4. — Seasons when cows freshened ranked according to average produc- 

 tion of butterfat. 





Season of freshening. 



Number of times ranked. 





First. 



Second. 



Third. 



Fourth. 





7 



8 



3S 



13 



8 

 6 



16 

 35 



27 



17 



7 



11 



22 





31 



Fall 



3 





5 







Out of a possible 64, fall ranked first 38 times in average yearly 

 production of butterfat per cow and second 16 times. Winter ranked 

 first 13 times and second 35 times out of a possible 64. Summer 

 ranked first 8 times and fourth 31 times out of a possible 62, there 

 being two associations in which no cows freshened during the sum- 

 mer months. Spring ranked first only 7 times in butterfat produc- 

 tion and second 8 times. In average pounds of butterfat produced 

 per cow for all associations combined (see Table 1) fall ranked first, 

 winter second, and spring and summer tied for third and fourth 

 places. 



Figure 1 shows graphically the variation of butterfat production 

 according to season of freshening for the 10,870 cows in the 64 

 associations. 



^O /OO /SO ZOO 



300 



Fig. 1. — Relation of butterfat production to season of freshening. 



The cows that freshen in the fall not only rank first in yearly 

 butterfat production, but they produce most during the winter 

 months. In many parts of the country the dairyman has more time 

 in winter to do the extra work connected with their feed and care. 



