Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-03-29
Improvement of Dairy Herds.

Every farmer is interested in his herd
of dairy cows because of the money the
cows bring him. Very few farmers,
however, have any knowledge of what
their cows are doing. Most of the farm
ers judge of the quality of their COWS
from the amount Of milk each one gives
IL she gives large mess OF milk she Ia
usually "the best COW on the farm" and
If small mess she is not "very good
cow" This is an unscientific way OF
Judging of the individual COW or the
herd. To help farmers upon a higher
plane of dairying has been study OF
the Minnesota Department of Agricul
ture for several years. Through long
series of experiments the department
has found that the testing of individual
cows, weighing their milk and testing it
is practical and necessary IL one is to
breed up his herd intelligently. The
department now recommends the Or
ganization of cooperative COW testing
associations in any neighborhood where
sufficient number Of cows is kept.
This is not hard matter to do. Let
fifteen or twenty farmers join together
in a neighborly way and sign an agree
ment to stand by each other for year,
agreeing to pay Sl.00 or $3.50 per year
per COW for some one who shall make 1t
his duty to appear at each farm once
month for a year, at milking time, see
the cows MIXED, weigh their milk, test
it, and make record of each cows
work and leave it with her owner. In
this way practical man thoroughly ac-
quainted with the work can be employ
ed to give his experience to the dairy
man at so low cost as to make his en-
ployment necessity to every owner of
considerable number of cows. Some
NAV say they can't afford the cost. A
few non paying cows will in year cost
more than the expense of having the
herd tested for a similar period. Ii
cow isn't worth the feed and care she
requires the farmer should know it. III
she is a paying COW he should know 1t
and breed her to a sire of pronounced
qualities and thus build up his herd to
standard of excellence and profit. Good
dairy cows are seldom in the market.
People as rule do not sell such cows
or if so they sell at an exorbitant price
few farmers can afford TO pay. So the
really practical and economical way to
get a paying herd is to breed up to it
from sires of such excellence as to leave
no question as to the dairy merit of their
offspring, beginning with the best cows
in the herd as mothers and discardiug
those of inferior quality.
The tester can visit one herd one day
and then the farmers can take him to
the next and so on until he has gone the
rounds of the neighborhood once each
month. At the end Of the year each
farmer will have record showing
losing or winning game on the part OF
each COW, besides having been educated
in various branches of the industry. A
limited number of COW testing associa-
tions have been organized in Minnesota
and the farmers are pleased with the
results. Every neighborhood where
dairy cattle are kept should get busy
this spring and conduct its business
from an intelligent tandpoint.
The Division of Agricultural Ell.
tension University Farm, st. Paul, will
gladly give all assistance possible in the
organization of such associations and
assist farmers in procuring practical
men in the work of testing and dairying.
Turf, Farm and Home.