I4Q ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



there was found a difference of 2.2 per cent of butter fat, and .0015 per 

 cent in milk, making a difference of 4.67 pounds of butter fat and 8.09 

 pounds of milk per cow; in the other case a difference of .038 per cent fat, 

 and 1.98 per cent in milk, or .27 pounds of butter fat and 120.3 pounds of 

 milk per cow. From these results it is seen that by carefully weighing 

 and sampling each cow's milk every seventh week during her period of 

 lactation records can be secured which are substantially correct. 



Object of the Work. 



There is no better way of finding out the merits of a dairy animal 

 when giving milk than to use the scales and the Babcock test. With 

 the weights of milk produced, the per cent of butter fat and the length of 

 her milking season, together with the feed consumed, the value of a cow 

 for the dairy can be determined. The object of getting dairymen to do 

 this work is to determine which of the individual cows in their herds are 

 the most profitable, so that the owners may cull out the poor cows and 

 keep the profitable ones; to show them the importance of better feeding 

 and care for their stock; and the importance of selecting better sires for 

 their herds. A dairy animal should be selected for the amount of milk and 

 butter fat which she yields during the year rather than on points of fancy 

 or form. It is a reasonably safe rule in selecting dairy cows to go upon 

 the results obtained from the scales and the Babcock test. If she is a 

 good breeder, that also should be taken into consideration. If the per- 

 formance of each cow in the herd is know, the heifers can be selected from 

 the best cows and when these heifers become fresh the test should be 

 applied to them and the inferior ones culled out. This can only be done 

 when we have an intelligent understanding of each cow and her capability 

 of producing milk and butter fat. 



Elements of Danger in the Use of Scales and Babcock Test. 



While the scales and Babcock test can be of great service in the selec- 

 tion of our dairy animals, they must, however, be used with judgment. 

 Dairy cows have their "off years," and this must be considered When 1, the 

 herd is being culled. If we do not bear this fact in mind, we are 1 -apt to 



