4 
FARMERS' BULLETIN 993. 
tered sire of high quality. Though still in its infancy, the coopera¬ 
tive bull-association movement promises to become eventually a very 
great factor in the improvement of our dairy cattle. 
SOME ADVANTAGES OF COOPERATIVE BULL ASSOCIATIONS. 
BETTER AND FEWER BULLS. 
The typical cooperative bull association, as organized in this coun¬ 
try, is composed of from 15 to 30 farmers and jointly owns five bulls. 
Fig. 1.—Map showing location of members of the Roland Cooperative Bull 
Association. . 
Its territory is divided into five “ breeding blocks,” one bull being 
assigned to each block. As many as 50 or 60 cows may belong to the 
farmers in each block, and the bull in the block should be kept on a 
farm conveniently situated. To prevent inbreeding each bull is 
moved to the next block every two years. If all the bulls live, and if 
all are kept until each has made one complete circuit, no new bulls 
need be purchased for 10 years. In this way each member of the 
association has the use of good pure-bred bulls for many years, at a 
cost of only a small part of the purchase price of one bull. Ordina- 
