The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-01-28

Testing Cows.
When it is possible to test the but
ter value OF COW it does not pay
dairyman to feed any COW that he Is
not sure is giving him profit. The
following from the Southern Ruralist
shows what has been done:
ut would be interesting 20 know
how many dairymen in Georgia test
their COWS so as to ascertain which
cows are paying profit and which are
being kept at loss.
Some recent tests have been report
ed which are very instructive. not as
showing how much individual COWS
give when fresh in milk. and at their
best. but what they give during the
year for with this information, with
the market price of the product ana
the cost Of it. the exact amount OF
profit is easily determined.
"a dairy expert in Minnesota in test
ing about 200 COWS reports some very
striking instances illustrating the farm
er's ignorance of the relative value OF
his cows.
lone case is the following: Two
grades of similar breeding. with eN-
actly the same feed, care. milking. etc..
one yielding twenty-three pounds OF
butter per month. the other siXty-three
mounds. II the farmer paid for her
led, care. etc. and butter was worth
twenty five cents per pound, the latter
made a clear profit Of $40 per month.
which is more that the yearly income
of one share of the best railroad or
factory stock in the United States.
And yet the market value OF such a
COW is about S35 or $40.
"The Illinois Experiment Station re-
ports n similar case among others:
Two grade COWS, Rose and Nora. as
nearly alike as possible. were fed the
same and managed exactly alike for 4
year. The difference in favor of Rose
in the years product was 32OI pounds
of milk of 252 pounds of butter fat.
For every 100 pounds Of milk from
Nora, Rose gave 1895 pounds. For
every 100 pounds of butter fat from
Nora. Rose gave 1907. Rose produced
564.S pounds of butter during the year.
Nora. 1855 pounds of butter: the differ
ence In favor of Rose being 266.2
pounds. With butter at twenty-five
cents per pound, S6650. If Nora made
expenses. Rose made the neat sum last
stated. If 1T5 pounds Of butter Will
pay the expenses Of one Of these cows.
and this is enough according to some
dairymen. then the profit from Rose
amounted to 1925.
"A very interesting article in the Chi
cago Dairy Produce Of May last.
gives report Of Scotch writer upon
the methods of the Danish farmers.
They weigh and test their milk with
great care, having societies organized
for the purpose of employing and sup
porting experts. whose entire time is
devoted to this work. The plan and
the working of it cannot now be given
In detail, but it is only mentioned to
show some of the discoveries resulting
from It. One man began with twelve
heifers and by careful management
wedding out the most valuable one
from year to year. and breeding only
from the best. he about doubled his
product per cow in few years. This
careful system Of testing brought to
light numerous instances where whole
families of cows were giving twice the
milk and butter of the average COW.
One COW is mentioned as giving HOO
gallons year for seven years: another
400 gallons year for fifteen years.
Without testing the individuals, large
part of the profit from these good cows
would have been wasted supporting
q lot Of scrubs"