^^^ Illinois State Dairymen s Association. 



Now just a few words about dairy conditions in this vicinity 

 as I have found them and particularly as to the light they cast 

 upon the results as revealed by the test. There is a popular 

 sentiment among the dairymen with whose herds I am best 

 acquainted in favor of the dual purpose cow. And this very 

 belief is probably the most potent factor in the making of the 

 low dairy records I have found. Of the six herds that I tested 

 only two of them were composed of strictly dairy cows, grade 

 Holstein. These two herds, however, represented the smallest 

 ones in point of number of cows. Three of the other herds were 

 principally Durham, while the sixth was about one-half Red 

 Polled and one-half Polled Durham. But I do not want to 

 give the impression that Durhams are worthless, but rather that 

 If you wish to find high milk or butter fat records you must 

 search outside the ranks of dual purpose cow, nor did I mean 

 that these records are so low as to render all the cows profitless 

 but that they are not comparable with fancy records which all of 

 you have heard about. As a matter of fact I think that these 

 records are as good as could be expected when we justly consider 

 the conditions under which they were made. 



I could not give a complete report upon the dairy conditions 

 that I have found without speaking of irregular milkins: hours. 

 Perhaps this subject is somewhat foreign to my topic, but as I 

 have had a very good opportunity of observing this point of 

 dairying I shall tell you of my conclusion in the matter if you 

 will pardon me for a moment. Irregularity in milking has a 

 larger influence upon milk production than many are aware of. 

 The cow that is milked irregularly becomes anxious and rest- 

 less waiting for the milking hour, and again is made uneasy by 

 being milked too soon. One need but observe the weekly milk 

 sheets in order to know about the milking time. I have heard 

 the argument ( and you all have) that if a cow is milked unusually 

 early at one time she will make up her small mess by a larger 

 one at the next milking, so that for a week she would give as 

 much as the regularly milked cow, other conditions being con- 

 sidered equal. This reasoning I have found not to hold good for 

 a week. I am glad to say, however, that the herds I tested 

 were milked with reasonable regularity. Here are the weights 

 of two different cows' milk taken for one week, fourteen milk- 

 ings, which fairly represent regular and irregular milking hours : 



