FORTY-FIRST ANNUAL CONVENTION 15 



selection, feeding and care. This doubling means a ratio of 

 one to four, or four times the production of the average farm 

 before, all reasonable and possible. The ciuestion before us is 

 whether we will try to accomplish this, or plod along the good 

 old way and still cuss the dairy business. 



Cow Test Associations 



I have frequently heard the statement made that probably 

 one-fourth of the cows in this state did not yield enough to pay 

 a profit. I want to say I believe there is many a cow in the 

 state that never had an opportunity to show what she could do, 

 or prove her value, owing to a lack of good care and proper 

 feed. In order to measure their true value we can not urge too 

 strongly the organization of cow testing Associations, of which 

 a number have been formed in different sections of the state.. 

 The value of this work is soon felt, and it will bring about a 

 better system in dairy work. The dairyman will realize the cost, 

 and keep a record of the production of the cow for a year. That 

 will enable him to get the true financial and scientific value of 

 each cow in the herd, and he will soon begin to look around for 

 better blood for his dairy herd, and he will want sires of the 

 best families with records of yearly production. We would urge 

 this strongly, for the true measure of what a cow can do is not 

 a seven or thirty-day test, strained up to a high tension or to the 

 limit. But a yearly record made under normal conditions, and 

 the herd in normal working order is the best method of meas- 

 uring the true value of the dairy cow. The demand for pure 

 bred dairy sires of the leading dairy breeds has never been 

 greater than at the past year. The demand for good grade and 

 pure bred cows never was greater than in the past year. The 

 demand for good grade pure bred cows never was greater than 

 at the present time and the price never so high, and cows of the 

 high standard so hard to get. It would seem from the outlook 

 that there was a brilliant future for the breeder of high grade 

 and pure bred stock of the right type and quality — the large 

 producing kind, with good butter fat test. 



