American Agriculturist, August 9, 1924 
A Way to Stay in the Business 
What Cow Testing Associations Do for Their Members 
I F YOU have not read the editorial in 
this issue entitled, “What is the 
Future of the Dairy Business for Me?” I 
hope you will read it, for it expresses my 
sincere belief that a lot of men have either 
got to adjust their business methods of 
handling their dairy or else they cannot 
stand the prices or the competition 
which , are going to prevail in the dairy 
business. The man who does not depend 
upon his cows for the main part of his 
living but only keeps them to have a 
little milk and butter for his own use and 
a little surplus to sell, need not worry so 
much as to whether those cows are good 
or poor, for his main living comes from 
other lines of farming. Of course, he 
would make more from the cows he has 
if they were better. But the real dairy¬ 
man who depends upon his cows for his 
living must do some long thinking to 
meet the situation which is ahead of him. 
Dairying Meeting Heavy Competition 
As we have stated in the editorial, 
dairying under modern conditions of pro¬ 
ducing milk for markets has become a 
real business. The dairyman is in com¬ 
petition with other farmers and with 
other business. Those who survive will 
have to meet that competition with the 
same good business methods that their 
competitors use. This certainly means 
the keeping of records. How to keep 
records on individual cows, as to what 
they eat, the pounds of milk they give, 
and the amount of butter fat this milk 
contains is a big problem. 
For years there have been a few men in 
almost every dairy county in the big 
dairy states who have believed in the 
keeping of records, but who have not been 
able to get the time to do it themselves. 
Many of these men have joined with 
their neighbors in cow testing or dairy 
improvement associations. These associ¬ 
ations have been an immense amount of 
help to farmers. They were just coming 
into considerable popularity before the 
war, but during the war, it was difficult to 
get men and the number of associations 
declined. Of late there has been a 
revival of interest which we have been 
glad to see. 
“Better Cow” Cooperatives 
Each association is a sort of small co¬ 
operative organization working for better 
cows. Farmer members unite, hire a 
tester, who visits each member once a 
month, weighs the feed and the milk for 
each cow in the herd, tests the milk and 
butter-fat. All the records are kept in a 
herd book and at the end or the year 
every member knows how much each 
individual in his herd produced and what 
it cost him for her production. In other 
words, the cow testing association enables 
the dairyman to keep accurate records of 
his business in the same w r ay that men in 
every other business, except farming, do. 
Another result that nearly every 
member of a cow testing association will 
testify to is the removal of friction 
between dairymen and the milk dealers 
over the tests at the local milk station. A 
local dealer knows that the dairyman 
knows from his own records what his test 
should be. 
But the cow testing associations have 
their limitations. It is rather difficult to 
get men for testers, and sometimes there 
are not enough dairymen in a community 
close enough for the tester to work effi¬ 
ciently. In this case, there are some 
modifications of the cow-testing plan 
which are worked successfully; for in¬ 
stance, the dairy improvement clubs. 
The general idea of these clubs is for the 
farmers to keep milk weights themselves 
and occasior Uy send a sample of the 
milk to be tested for butter-fat to the 
farm bureau office or to the local creamery 
or milk plant. Then the milk weight 
records are sent to the farm bureau office 
for tabulation. The county agent writes 
the individual farmer when he returns the 
record, making such comments as he 
sees fit. Further information as to 
getting started with these clubs can be 
obtained from your county agent. 
A good many dairymen in the last few 
years have obtained a Babcock tester and 
occasionally make a test of their cows 
themselves. Testers are not expensive 
and the operation can be easily learned by 
anybody by following the simple direc¬ 
tions. 
Some Outstanding Reports 
One of the interesting results obtained 
from the cow-testing work in New York 
State is the publishing of the names of the 
owners of the ten herds in the whole state 
who make the highest records for the 
month. Because we believe these men 
deserve some advertising for the effort 
they have made to improve their dairies 
and because of the growing interest in this 
excellent work, we hope to publish from 
time to time the names of the men in the 
cow testing associations who succeed in 
getting their herds into the list of the 
highest ten each month. 
To give an idea of how interesting this 
work becomes to every member, we give 
below a few of the comments of the testers 
in some of the different cow testing as¬ 
sociations. In these reports, which are 
given considerable circulation all over 
the state, notice that the members of the 
cow testing associations get considerable 
advertising and note also that they receive 
a lot of information as to what other good 
dairymen are doing. For instance, the 
report given below by agent Balch shows 
that farmers are not feeding as much 
grain as usual. Note too that almost as 
soon as the work starts, the poor pro¬ 
ducing cows start toward the butcher. 
Some of the reports follow: 
Albany-Schenectady. Agent, E. J. Colliton 
The two leading cows in this association this 
year (until May 1st) are: for milk, a grade 
Holstein No. 4, owned by Parker Corning, with 
record of 10,259.6 pounds milk and 342.7 
pounds fat. This record was from Nov. 10, 
1923 to May 1st, 1924. In butter-fat, a Jersey 
cow owned by Gladys Saddlemire lead with 
6585 pounds milk and 368.5 pounds fat. The 
association year started last August. Corning 
Farms have a herd of 40 milking Holsteins. 
Jasper Comstock of Altamont, R. D. No. 8, 
has a P. B. H. F. bull calf for sale that was born, 
March 10th. His dam was highest cow in this 
association for milk last year with record of 
more than 15,000 pounds milk with average test , 
of 3.5 per cent and second in butter-fat. She 
was milked only twice a day for lOj^ months. 
The calf is % white, a fine individual and from 
an accredited herd. Anyone wishing more 
particulars should write Mr. Comstock or go 
personally to see the individual. 
April 1st, I started two new association 
members, both with grade Guernsey herds; 
Joseph De Marco of Duanesburgh and Perry 
Lobdell of Rensselaerville. 
For the month of April seven cows were 
culled and sold to the butcher. Culling the 
herd for both milk production and butter-fat is 
one of the benefits you will get from associ¬ 
ation work. 
Western Allegany Agent, B. F. Mullaney 
This month finished the year for some of the 
members. Mr. J. B. Harbeek of Black Creek, 
on a dairy of 24 cows, 7 — 2 year old; 7—3 year 
olds; 4—4 year olds, had an average production 
of 11,402 pounds of milk, 394 pounds of fat. 
His high cow, “Mutual Friend Aggie Johanna, 
a 4 year old, produced 16,439 pounds of milk 
and 552.5 pounds of fat. Her value of product 
above cost of feed was $197.42, cost per cwt. of 
milk 91c; cost per pound butterfat 27c. Mr. 
R. W. Chamberlain of Caneadea finished some 
A. R. O. records, one 31.33 pounds of butter-fat 
on a 6-year old, on two junior 2 year olds, 20.45 
pounds of butter-fat and 21.49'poundsof butter- 
fat respectively. 
Chenango Valley-Unadilla—Agent, W. W. Sadler 
Mr. Neidlinger & Son sold four poor testers 
and bought a two-year old purebred bull. 
Mr. Friedel sold three poor testers and 
bought two cows. 
Mr. Marshman let two cows go, one he 
thought was tubercular. 
Prindle Bros, have sold three cows and 
have three two-year old heifers come in. They 
have purchased a purebred Holstein bull. 
Sherman Agent, L. B. Mapes 
Thirteen poor producers have been sold in 
the Sherman Association during April. 
Andes Agent, J. J. Linehan 
Next month starts the association for an¬ 
other year. This will make the third year of 
the association. The few herds which are 
dropping the work are only small ones, with 
most of the cows being tested for two years. 
The price of milk for March was $2.50 per 100 
pounds for 3 per cent. One purebred bull was 
brought into the association this month. 
Ellisburg Agent, M. L. Balch 
On account of the low price of milk the 
farmers are not feeding as much grain as they 
would like to. 
So. Lewis 
Agent, H. L. Stahlman 
There were 10 dairies tested during April 
containing 202 cows, 162 cows were milking 
and 40 were still dry. There are 36 cows on 
the honor roll which is quite an improvement 
over a year ago, when there were but 26 from 
just twice as many dairies. It is interesting to 
note that over one-half the honor-roll cows are 
from Mohawk Hill. Herds averaging 1000 
pounds of milk follow: 
Geo. E. Hayes, 1136.4 pounds milk, 36.9 
pounds fat per milking cow. 
J. W. VanZandt, 1018.6 pounds milk, 32.5 
pounds fat per milking cow. 
Earl Potter, 1009.0 pounds milk, 32.3 pounds 
fat per milling cow. 
First Oneida Agent, C. J. Morrow 
More milk is being produced this month, due 
to more cows in milk production. Most of the 
members are going to carry on the work with 
the association this year and several new ones 
wish to join. The majority of farmers are 
mixing their own feed and the average price is 
around $1.90. 
Schuyler-Seneca Agent, H. C. Hinsdale 
Several rations have been changed for more 
economical production. No grade bulls in use. 
Hamilton Agent, R. H. Bresee 
We wish to call your attention to the honor 
list in the Garrod herd. These cows are not 
only high, this month, but are high yearly 
producers. The members of this association 
are”going to have something tc do, if they out¬ 
class this herd for the coming year. I expect 
this herd to average very close to 12,000 pounds 
per cow, as they are in shape to do business. 
Out of 308 cows tested, 50 made the honor 
roll, this is not quite as large a proportion as 
we have some times, but it is due to the fact 
(Continued on page 96) 
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