FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL CONVENTION 10 



Some years ago the matter of cow testing associations 

 was introduced. On every program there was always some 

 fellow talking about cow testing associations and we have 

 had it on the programs of the Illinois State Dairymen's 

 Association from time to time. We refer to it casually, 

 thinking that the farmers know something about it, but I 

 am telling you the thing that I want to make plain, the 

 thing we have got to do, is to go back to the fundamental 

 principles of dairying. There is nothing new. Things are 

 pretty much the same as they were twenty, thirty or forty 

 years ago. But just the same we are always looking for 

 something new. But before I say much more I want to ask 

 a few questions. How many of you are breeders of pure- 

 bred cattle? How many are keeping records of cow testing 

 associations? How many are doing official testing? Three, 

 or four, or a dozen? That is not enough! What is the 

 matter with dairying? There is your answer. And that is 

 what is wrong with the dairy business from the producer's 

 standpoint. 



There is a lot of difference between a cow that will 

 give 150 and one that will give 200 pounds of butterfat in 

 a year. What are your cows doing? That is the question 

 we are asking our dairymen in Michigan. We are not going 

 out and saying you had better join a cow testing association. 

 But you must do something along this line to find out what 

 your cows are doing if you would stay in the dairy business. 

 You must know more about your own business if you are 

 going to make it a success. 



Some nineteen years ago we started this cow testing 

 idea. The first association was established up there. They 

 have gone along and we have never taken any particular 

 advantage of this, but we are constantly spreading this gos- 

 pel to the dairymen in Michigan. 



Now we are taking that message and selling it to the 

 farmers. My message to your association is that you have 

 got to sell this thing and it has more bearing than anything 

 else you can possibly do. We have got to know what our 

 cows are doing if we are to keep in business. You can keep 



