300 



Illinois State Dairymen s Association. 



dairymen. The educational effect of a college course, together 

 with one or two years' work in a cow testing association, has 

 proved such that those men are in general demand as managers 

 of large dairies, creameries, etc., and they are frequently found 

 in leading positions connected with the dairy work. 



The Work of the Assistants. 



The assistants make periodical visits to the farm of each 

 member of the association, and spend a day at each place. If 

 the association has 12 members, the testing is done every four- 

 teenth day, and if there are 26 members, and one herd can be 

 tested a day, the testing will be done once a month, making due 

 allowance for Sundays. In every herd of 40 or less cows, 

 the work can be done in a day. If the number of cows in 

 a herd is greater than 40, twio days are necessary. On the other 

 hand, if the farms are located close together and the herds d.t^ 

 not too large, two herds may be tested in a day. 



The milk from each cow is carefully weighed, sampled and 

 tested, both night and morning. From the data obtained in this 

 way, the monthly yield is calculated. In the same way the num- 

 ber of pounds of feed and the cost of same is computed for each 

 cow. These details are entered into a book kept for that pur- 

 pose. Thus at the end of the year, the farmer will have a com- 

 plete record of every cow in his herd, and with this as a basis, 

 he can make intelligent selection of cows for breeding purposes. 



Some of the Results. 



The first aim of the associations has been to make dairying 

 yield better returns and to increase the interest in dairying. 

 Through an accurate record of the yield and feed consumed, the 

 dairyman has an opportunity to judge as to the present profitable- 

 ness of his herd and as these records, when compared with others, 

 at the same time, show where improvement might be made, they 

 become of great importance. The problem is, then, to avoid the 

 mistakes of the past and to make such improvements as are 

 needed, and the records may suggest. 



The following table shows the improvement made in one 

 herd of the Wallakra (Sweden) cow testing association by seven 

 years' testing: 



Herd B., owned by Aug. Kinck, Beltaberga, Sweden. 



