Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-09-15

COW TESTING IN WALDO COUNTY.
At meeting, July l, in Burnham, OF
North Waldo Pomona. the question, Re-
solved, That Cow Testing Would be
Benefit to Waldo County, was opened In
the affirmative by c. G. Clements, wor,
thy lecturer of this Pomona. He said,
in part, that it sometimes happens that
we must 90 TO the old world for new
ideas; that the first contrasting associa'
ton was formed in Denmark thirteen
years ago; was composed of IA men,
with 25O cows. That this idea has been
worked out along similar lines until now
there are IL in Wisconsin, 5S in Canada,
one in Massachusetts,, several in other
states and three in Maine. That it is
possible by the aid of these associations
to find out the best paying cows, the
rate per cent of profit from each, the
proper feed for protein and the amount
for each COW in short, to place oneself
where he will know just what he is do
ing and how much profit he is getting
that this can all be secured by the for
nation of these associations of given
number of men, with a certain number
of cows, one man being employed, which
can be done for about $500 per annum,
this man to test and compute the profit
from each, every member to have all
this for 81 cow per year.
n. l.. Littlefield was called on to sup
port the negative and he advised the pa
irons not to put too much confidence in
that little particular man who comes
around and tests out the value OF the
cows or the profit therefrom. He said
be believed it would be better to send
samples To the experiment station and
let them figure out the butter tat, pro-
tein, etc, and keep out of too many OF
these associations.
Il. l.. Clements said: at is not the
cow that gives the most milk nor yet
the COW that gives the least; it is the
one that has the highest per cent of but
ter fat and lots of farmers are keeping
cows that do not know themselves
which pay the most in the herd; they
should test them once in while and
find out what they are doing"
o. b. Dow: "These associations
would be step in the line of progress.
There is no question but that it would
be benefit to know what to feed to get
the best results. 1t is fact, however,
that farmers ought to be able to study
out these things for themselves. We do
not get the time and if we joined one of
these associations, then we should know
what in great many cases we have to
guess at now."
C. III. Libby: "I am not in favor OF
giving a man $500 year for something
that any one can do just as well. Put
the milk in tumblers and you can soon
tell which is best. The state dairy in
spector told me- that the Bsbcock test is
all right, but there is only one man in 90
that can operate it properly. We can
tell ourselves just as well, whether a
COW is good or not, and l wouldn't give
a man $500 year and board him to tell
me something knew before"
l.. Z. White: ~ think it is best to
sell the poor ones when you find it out,
but sometimes it is hard to know
whether cow is poor enough to sell or
good enough to keep. The man en-
ployed by the association could tell us
this and we would be benefited.
MIR. Davis: 81 think this would be a
benefit to Waldo County to weed out the
poor cows and that would mean about
one-third would 60, for l believe about
that number is kept at loss"
Mr.. Wood: "Let your creamery man
do your testing. He will do it free and
it would be just as we'll as to pay so
much for something that could be found
out some other way. New England
Farmer.