ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. I 33 



needs and conditions. As this work develops there will, doubt- 

 less, be need in a year or two of an assistant in this work. 



3. The Economic Production of Milk. This subject is a 

 large one and has several phases, one of the most important be- 

 ing, how to obtain good efficient cows. Since dairy cows cannot 

 be produced on a ranch they must necessarily be bred and raised 

 on the dairy farm. The best individuals in the herd should be 

 determined by testing and the heifer calves from these be raised. 

 In order to show the importance of this work it is necessary to 

 know the greatest difference in efficiency of cows and what de- 

 grees of efficiency can be obtained in cows at the present time. 

 The only way this can be accurately determined is by placing 

 the cows under known conditions and keeping an accurate record 

 of both the feed and the product. The record of our herd during 

 the past year shows that one cow produced, on the same kind and 

 amount of feed, over 2j^ times what another did. 



The most economical production of milk does not mean the 

 smallest area of land upon which a cow can be kept. If enough 

 fertilizer and labor were skillfully used upon land a half acre 

 would doubtless support a cow for a year, but this would not be 

 producing milk most economically any more than when a cow is 

 forced to her utmost to make an official test. It would be far 

 more economical to use more land and greatly reduce the ex- 

 panse of labor. 



4. The Sanitary Improvement of Dairying. There is great 

 need for improvement in the sanitary condition of dairying and 

 especially in the production and handling of milk. Experimental 

 work along this line should, I believe be extended. An assistant 

 should be employed to teach the subject of milk testing and city 

 milk supply, and also to assist in conducting experiments in pre- 

 venting contamination of milk. 



In my opinion here is work outlined for all the money in 

 sight and more good will result in pursuing a few important 

 lines strongly than can be obtained in any other way. This plan 

 as outlined will put a little over half the funds into demonstra- 

 tive work in the field. The wisdom of putting so large a propor- 



