The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-05-19
N ~ ING RMATION.
Cor
missioner q. l.. Martin Issues
Cow Testing Bulletin Which Con-
tains Much of Value.

low Testing Builetin winch tOn-
tains Much of Value.
Orlando l.. Martin of Plainfield,
State Commissioner of Agriculture,
has just issued COW testing bull
letin which contains some interest
| ing and instructive information re-
garding the scope and results of this
new phase of dairy work in this
State. Copies may be had on appli-
cation to Mr. Martin
The introduction gives brief
sketch of the growth of the move
ment. The first association was
started in 1908, at Morrisville At
present there are seven associations
at work. as follows: Morrisville,
Stowe, White River Junction, East
Hardwick, Waitsfield, Rutland, Enos-
burg Falls and one in st. Adams
just starting in the work. Several
others are in process of formation.
The associations at Stowe, White
River Junction and Morrisville are
the only ones which have completed
years work and the results OBJ
tanned are treated in the bulletin.
The fundamental idea of the asso-
citation and the extent of it's growth
are indicated by the following eX-
tracts from the text of the bulletin:
"A COW testing association is
simply an association of dairymen
| formed for the purpose of learning
the dairy abilities of their several
COWS. 1t is a method whereby,
through the employment of an eX-
pert who travels from farm to farm,
this work is done for the various
members accurately, cheaply, easily.
The proposition is one of Danish in
ception.
"The COW testing association has
had vogue on this continent for about
six years, and such organizations
are now being formed in many dairy
sections. There are five or more in
Maine, few in New York and Penn
sylvania, many in Michigan, Wiscon-
sin, Minnesota, Ohio and other
States. There are probably more in
Wisconsin than in any other one
State. Some so or more were re-
Gently at work in the Provinces Of
Quebec and Ontario"
The method of conducting an as.
ISOLATION is outlined as follows
"a body of dairymen, about % in
number, owners of 800 or more COWS
gather; adopt bylaws; agree to pay
a dollar per COW per year into {
common treasury in quarterly in
stalments; secure a test operator
and outfit (Babcock tester, glass
ware, spring balance, sampling bot
ties, pail, record blanks, calculating
|, tables, etc., and start work Tn
, operator spends one day
month at each place, weighing thu
feed and milk and testing the latter
computing results. From these on,
| day records he computes the month
= ly yields, and at the end of the yea
: from these several accumulated
monthly records. calculates yearl.
, records, when all the work has bee
, accurately done, may be safely as
Sulleu TO De essentially correct, SUI
ficiently so for the purposes of dis
eliminating between cows. The da
ia obtained include weight and ties
of milk, sales price of butter fai
: the value per month of butter fat
feed weights, money values and fins
statements as to prof, or loss"
, Several pages of data are giver
covering the various phases of tn
work done by the three association
during the past year. They are G
interest chiefly to dairymen and ar
. impossible of intelligent condensa
! ton for newspaper use. They serv
i to show, however that in each her
there were COWS which were hardl
. paying for their keep and som
y which were dead loss to the
owners. BY means of the test
made, it was possible to get rid {
these animals. Accurate ideas {
cost of milk production were gained
relative values of feeding stuffs an
= other data of value were CLEANED
Much interest has been aroused an
y. it is expected that the close of tn
= present year will see the number {
. testing associations more tina
doubled