ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. j^ 



Now was it the creamery or the patron that was responsible for this 

 difference? 



At the Illinois Experiment Station, Mr. Fraser fouivl that 2 cows 

 could practically consume the same amount of feed and give different am- 

 ounts of milk and butter fat. Rose and Nora were the names of the two 

 cows that were in this experiment. Rose gave 11329 pounds of milk, 561 

 8-10 pounds of butter fat; and Nora gave 7759 4-10 of milk and 298 64- 

 100 pounds of butter fat. 



Prof. Haecker of the Minneso ta Experiment Station found that he had 

 cows in his herd that paid a net profit of $50.00, others $20.00, and others 

 only $8.00. The cows were all fed and cartd for alike, but yet there were 

 these great differences. 



At the Wisconsin Experiment Station they found some cows in their 

 herd that even* charged something for their keeping. These different 

 results show us that it is not alto gether a question of feed, but t he breed- 

 ing of the animal must be considered. And this is not enough. She 

 should also be put to test from time to time, in order to find out whether 

 she is a prfitable cow or not. 



It seems to me fitting and wise for the farmers to dispose of their poor 

 cows, and keep only the good ones. These facts that I have presented to 

 you must appeal to you when the prices of feed are high as they are at 

 the present time. What is the use of keeping cows upon your farm that 

 do not pay you for their board? Why not sell them, and why not keep a 

 cow that produces 350 pounds of butter, instead of a cow that produces on- 

 ly 150 pounds of butter in a year? The labor is the same, and she usually 

 consumes the same amount of fee d. I had rather have ten cows giving 

 me a profit of $50 per head, than to have 100 cows that were only giving me 

 a net profit of $8.00 a piece. But there are many dairymen who are keep- 

 ing cows that do not pay for the feed they consume, as it has been shown 

 with some of the patrons of the Iowa creameries. 



Some of the da irymen, to whom I have offered this work, call it 

 "Book Farming." These same people would not employ a doctor or a 

 lawyer who were not learned in books. Let us put aside our prejudices, 



