ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 229 



upon the dairy interests of Illinois if the average production per 

 cow should be increased 82.52 pounds of butter fat? According 

 to a recent report there are 995,429 dairy cows in the state of 

 Illinois. It is doubtful if one-fourth of this numebr (248,, 857) 

 are improved individuals of a very high order, but for lack of 

 definite knowledge on this point, we will assume that there are. 

 There remains then 746,572 cows of low average production, in 

 which an increase of 82.52 pounds of butter fat can be readily 

 brought about by selection and breeding. Such an improvement 

 would cause an increase in the annual production of butter fat of 

 61,607,121.44 pounds. This amount at twenty-five cents per 

 pound would increase the return from the dairy cattle of Illin- 

 ois $15,401,780.36. This seems like a large sum at first thought, 

 but it is only a matter of increasing the return per cow $20.63 

 and when the average production is as low as we now have, such 

 an improvement can be readily secured. 



To go a step farther, let us consider the possibility of raising 

 the average production from that of the poorest herd to that of 

 an average of the ten best cows tested. This would call for an 

 increase of 246.7 pounds of butter fat per cow, which, even 

 though it would take some time to accomplish it, is not at all 

 beyond the range of possibility. Such an improvement would 

 amount to 184,179,312.4 pounds of butter fat per year, which at 

 twenty-five cents per pound would yield the dairy farmers of Ill- 

 inois $46,044,828 per year in addition to what they are now re- 

 ceiving. The first case calls for an increase up to the average 

 production of the herds tested, while the latter refers to what is 

 essentially maximum production. The former we must have, the 

 latter will come in due time. 



In order to prove what I have said concerning the possibility 

 of raising the amount of butter fat per cow 82.52 pounds, I will 

 call your attention to table 8. Under the heading, "No Grading" 

 are grouped the herds in which there has been no attempt to 

 strengthen the breeding of the herd along dairy lines by either 

 the purchase of dairy-bred cows or the use of a pure-bred sire. 



