The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-04-20
Mr., LETTER.

C-oa,o,donoa of the Progressive Farmer.
In a private letter your correspond
ent, Mr.. Warren, complains that some
tvnoeraphicaI errors hurt the n OF
his article some He is in danger, too,
of q misunderstanding with his Hol-
stein Friesian friends because the typo
makes him say 1 20 per cent. fat when
he wrote 2 70 per cent. The latter is
low enough without incorporating to
make it necessary to get a tubful of
milk in order to support the large re-
ported tests Of cows.
In answer to a query as to how to
''estimte the pounds of butter
equivalent to the per cent. of fat indi
Gated by the Babcock test" for a cor
respondent of the Holstein- Friesian
Register in 1895, we cited asan example
q then recent test of a noted Holstein-
Friesian COW and figured up what but
ter could have been made from the
milk reported taking a supposed per
cent. of fat which was probably higher
than the cow could yield. The result
was far below the required yield, Of
course, and passed as a supposed case
merely.
Recently, in a controversy, Director
Smith, of the Michigan Station, puts
the same kind of finding to further use
and shows that many Of the great and
boosted tests of Jersey COWS were i'm
possible on any hypothesis other than
that large quantities Of water were
weighed and reported as butter. Prof.
Hacker openly charges as much as 40
per cent. and the Jersey Bulletin is so
surprised at the enormity of the charge
that it didn't have breath enough for a
rejoinder, or to notice the clinching of
the nails in the cofin-ot official -churn-
tests for general belief done Director
Smith in the same issue. There is such
q thing as making a high and honest
yield, but who has made them, and
where, is past the finding out up to
present date where the per cent. of fat
has not been accurately taken.
But to return to your complaining
correspondent: If the Holstein Friesian
friends do not care to take up and dis
cuss his or your typos slip, suppose we
suggest that he make some trials test
ing for fat over a weekly period at
equal distances from the beginning OF
the milk giving period. Then give
actual fields by weight for those periods
and not estimate, or assume, what is
not known but much estimated. The
actual relative values Of the very
breeds compared by your correspond
ent, have been very carefully worked
out at the New York Experiment Sta
ton, where the most extensive and
valuable breed test ever begun any
where is still in progress. The units OF
comparison are periods of 10 monthso of
milk giving by as many representatives
Of each breed as can be gathered. The
more COWS and periods" hat can be
added to the data in hand, the more
valuable will the result become for q
comparison of the breeds.
From a bulletin of the above Station
reporting on this test of breeds the fol
lowing was the standing Of the breeds
to the date of compiling the data al
drawn off for students use:
Holstein Friesians we're first in real
profit from selling milk, fourth with
production Of butter and cream and
making cheese.
Guernseys were first in production
of cream and butter, fourth in profit
from milk.selling and record in cheese
making.
Short Horns were first in cheese
making record when milk was sold and
third in profit on butter or cream
Jerseys were second in profit from
butter and cream, fifth when milk was
sold and third in cheese making.
Ayrshire was third in profit from
selling milk, fifth in cream and butter
and fifth from cheese.
American Holderness was sixth il
milk, butter, cream and cheese.
Devons were the last or poorest in re
turns from milk, butter, cream anC
cheese.
1t will be seen that there are chances
for these breeds to change places from
the positions they now occupy whel
more periods" have been added t.
those included in the compilation. Th,
breed advocated by your correspond
ent certainly stood we'll in the abov
test, but future records may reduc
them to second, or possibly, even thirc
in rank in their speciality, but for ecc
nomical use Of food they made a grea
1900 Nh - = nv