4^32 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



association is the purchase of an exceptionally good bull to 

 mate with the best cows in the herds of every block. Such a 

 plan for improA^ement of the better cows of the herd is applica- 

 ble to pure-bred herds as well as grade herds. For the pure- 

 bred herd the co-operative bull association undoubtedly will do 

 as much as for the grade herd, because it enables the breeders 

 of any class of stock to buy better bulls than they otherwise 

 could afford. In case the association is large and composed of 

 well-to-do breeders of pure-bred cattle, bulls of the highest class 

 for use with all the cows are within its reach financially. 



Low Cost 



That the need of the introduction of pure-bred bulls is 

 urgent in many parts of the country is apparent from the facts 

 brought out by a study made by the Department of Agriculture 

 of 8 districts in the States of Iowa, Minnesota, and Massachu- 

 setts, in which there were no associations. In this survey in- 

 formation was obtained regarding 1,219 farmers, owning 817 

 bulls, whose average value was %y6. Had the owners of those 

 cheap bulls been properly organized, the same investment would 

 have purchased the necessary bulls of an average value of $283. 

 On those farms nearly four times as many bulls were used as 

 would have been required under propef organization. The farm- 

 ers were therefore feeding four bulls when they should have 

 been feeding only one. 



Data from one of the first associations organized under the 

 direction of the Department of Agriculture illustrates this very 

 well. Before the association was formed the bulls in use had 

 an average market value of $85. The average price paid by 

 the association for registered bulls was $240. Price does not 

 always correspond to value, yet, as the bulls were carefully se- 

 lected, the price in this case is doubtless a fair index of true 

 worth. In this association each farmer's investment for a share 

 in a good registered bull was $10 less than his former investment 

 in an animal of inferior breeding and doubtful merit. 



Actual first-cost figures from other co-operative bull asso- 

 ciations are even more encouraging. In fact, the figures given 

 show the highest association cost reported. In one association 

 having more than 100 members the original cost to each mem- 

 ber was only $23. The members already have had the use of 



