38 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I916. 



Now a Sires' Futurity Test, such as that here reported, is in 

 principle nothing whatever but a progeny test. Such a Sires' 

 Futurity Test is a direct practical application of the teachings 

 which have come out of the theoretical investigations of the 

 Maine Agricultural Experiment Station. On that account the 

 Station is interested in such tests. We believe that they torm 

 one of the surest ways of helping towards the improvement of 

 the cattle in any community. The Station stands ready at any 

 time to help other associations to inaugurate such Sires' Fu- 

 turity Tests just insofar as its resources of time and money 

 will permit. 



While the Station does no extension work in the ordinary 

 sense of that term, it is, and must necessarily always be, inter- 

 ested in helping towards the practical application of the results 

 of its theoretical investigations. As a general policy in this 

 direction it seems desirable for the Station in the first instance 

 to work out, considerably in detail, in actual cooperation with 

 the farmer or association of farmers, the methods of making 

 such application. This is what we have tried to do in connec- 

 tion with this Aroostook Jersey Sires' Futurity Test. Once 

 having worked out such a set of detailed plans, and having 

 found by actual experience that they operate satisfactorily in 

 practice, there is then no need for the Station to continue in 

 the future doing the same thing over again. With the sug- 

 gestions and results set forth in this present report it should 

 be possible for any breeder's association or cow test associa- 

 tion to carry through the plan of a Sires' Futurity Test on their 

 own account, and without any help from the Station other than 

 advice, if needed, and possibly arrangement as to official super- 

 vision of the test. 



At the outstart the absolute magnitude of the records made 

 ir such tests are not of primary importance. The great thing 

 is to find out just exactly by comparative test what a sire is 

 transmitting in the way of milk producing qualities. To reach 

 their highest value such tests should include more animals 

 than did this Aroostook Test here reported. Efforts should be 

 made if possible to include two or three daughters at least 

 from each sire entered. This will not only add to the interest 

 of the contest but immeasurably to its value. 



