274 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



Official Records. 



The official tests are usually conducted for from seven to 

 ninety days. During the entire test a supervisor must be pres- 

 ent and weigh and test the milk from each milking. Holstein- 

 Friesian and Jersey cattle are admitted to Advanced Register by 

 these tests upon fulfilling the following requirements : A Hol- 

 stein-Priesian cow, two years of age or under at calving, must 

 produce 7.2 pounds of butter fat in seven consecutive days, 

 and for each additional day up to five years. 00439 pounds of 

 fat are added. After five years 12 pounds is the requirement. 

 The minimum requirement for a Jersey cow, regardless of age, 

 is 12 pounds butter fat in seven consecutive days. 



These seven-day tests are usually conducted soon after the 

 cow is fresh and in her best producing period. Frequently the 

 cow is rested and fed well for some time before freshening and 

 is nearly always pushed to her limit during the test: These tests 

 do not give a true estimate of the ability of the cow to produce 

 for long periods of time. The Holstein-Friesian Association 

 provides for a second test to be made not less than eight months 

 after calving; which helps to give a better idea of the persistency 

 of the cow, but is not equal to the semi-official yearly record. 



The second table given shows that during the past nine 

 years 411 short-time tests were made. Out of this number 

 Jacoba Irene 146443 (Jersey), Mechthilde DeKol Pieterje 

 Aaggie 79388 (Holstein-Friesian), and Reka Ormsby 67591 

 (Holstein-Friesian) produced 20 pounds or over, and 31 other 

 cows produced between 16 and 20 pounds of butter fat in seven 

 consecutive days. It is interesting to note that of the 411 tests 

 made, 128, or a little less than one-third, were made by one 

 breeder. 411 tests in nine years make a very poor showing 

 when the standing of Illinois as a dairy state is considered, no 

 of these were made during the year 191 1. Breeders are just 

 beginning to realize that the future of Illinois dairying depends 

 largely upon their attitude toward breeding for production. As 

 land becomes more valuable and the demands upon agriculture 

 become greater, the poor producing cow must be eliminated and 



