ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 151 



sense of satisfaction, and discouragement would be no longer our 

 constant companion. 



Now how are we to accomplish the desired results ? I think 

 I hear someone say, " He will advise selling off our present herd 

 and buying special purpose dairy cows." While I am an admirer 

 of the special purpose cow I would by no means advocate so 

 sweeping a change; but instead do the best you can with the 

 cows you have at the present time. Begin at once to record the 

 weight of each cow's milk, take a composite sample one week 

 in each month and determine by the Babcock test the per cent of 

 butterfat it contains. Make a record of this also, and at the end 

 of the year it will be an easy matter to determine the amount of 

 fat produced by each cow. 



But many will say, " I cannot spare the time that will be 

 required to do all this." This is a mistake. The time spent in 

 determining the amount of fat each cow produces in the year will 

 be perhaps the most profitable investment the dairyman can make. 

 When once established the practice will result in a healthy rivalry 

 between milkers to see who can secure the most even and steady 

 results from the cows that he milks. This alone will result in 

 an increased production of butterfat sufficient to pay well for the 

 trifling amount of time required. 



By careful breeding and close selection the herd can be 

 greatly improved. Great care should be exercised in choosing a 

 sire. No matter how brilliant a pedigree a breeder can furnish 

 with an animal, unless he can prove to you that the dams on 

 both sides for several generations have been, without exception, 

 good producers, don't buy. Beware of seven or thirty day tests, 

 but be guided by year tests and you will be much more liable to 

 be pleased with what you buy. Cull the herd every year, keep- 

 ing the number up with heifers from your best cows. By adopt- 

 ing this course the improvement in each generation will be marked 

 and will meet the expectation of every fair-minded man. 



The manner of milking has much to do with the results 

 obtained. It is not an uncommon circumstance to see a cow that 

 will object strongly to one milker while with another she may 



