47o Value of Records of Milk Yield of Cows, [sept., 



6d. per sample. A list of these institutions and directions for 

 sampling are given in Leaflet No. 146. 



An important point in connection with these tests is 

 the frequency with which they are required to be made in 

 order to give an accurate indication of the average richness 

 of the milk. Cows vary so much in the amount and quality 

 of their milk from one milking to another that exact results 

 cannot be obtained by testing the milk from one milking at 

 distant intervals. There is little doubt that once a fortnight 

 is sufficient, but if the sampling is only done monthly the 

 error may be considerable. 



The expense which would be incurred in sending a large 

 number of samples regularly to the Colleges can, to some 

 extent, be avoided by the testing being done at home by the 

 Lister-Gerber testing apparatus, as after the first outlay the 

 actual cost of making the test, apart from the labour involved, 

 is insignificant. The use of this apparatus requires a certain 

 amount of skill and care, but an intelligent dairyman or dairy- 

 maid will become expert at it after a little practice. 



Formation of Co-operative Societies for Milk-testing. — In 

 order to avoid the trouble of milk-testing on a large scale, the 

 Danes some years ago introduced the system of forming small 

 societies of farmers, who combined in order to share the ex- 

 pense of employing an assistant to devote his whole time 

 to the work.* This assistant visits each farm for one day in 

 turn, and makes a careful record of the quantity and quality 

 of the milk of each cow, and also of the system of feeding, 

 and other particulars of the herd. The cost of this work in 

 Denmark is not large, varying from is. to 2^. per cow 

 annually. The assistant, usually a young man from an agri- 

 cultural school, is paid only a small salary, as the position 

 is regarded as affording an excellent training. The State 

 also makes a small grant to the societies of about £14. each. 



The statistics available of these societies in Denmark, Ger- 

 many, and Sweden show that the average yield of the cows 

 has substantially increased owing to the unsatisfactory 

 animals being gradually discarded. 



The great success which attended the efforts of these 



* " Milk Testing and Control in Denmark, "Journal, Vol. xii, April, 1905, p. 21. 



