Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-03-07
Fifteen MILLION DOLLARS
MORE FOR IOWA BUTTER

Cooperative Cow Test Associations
Make This Result Possible.
If the poorest one-third Of the COWS
In Iowa were replaced with cows as
good as the best one-third, the Iowa
butter yield would be increased to the
extent Of $15,0OO,0O0 annually. This
Is the statement of r. X. Bliss of the
Extension Department at Ames, who
has had charge of the two COW test
associations that were organized In
June, 1909.
The average production Of the 100
best COWS in the Pioneer association
was 1892 pounds of butterfat a year.
The average production Of the loo
poorest cows in the same association
was 1884 pounds. A man with a
herd of COWS like these best 100 could
rent land at $19 an acre and make as
much money as his neighbor with a
herd of the poorer cows on IS land.
Forty-six herds, containing 6SS
COWS, were tested in the Benson and
Pioneer associations during the first
year. The associations were organ
ICED under the auspices Of the extern.
sion department. Each member
agreed to pay 81 each for every COW
he entered in the test and to board
the tester and take him to the next
place. The tester visited each farm
once a month, weighing the feed and
the milk, and testing the milk from
each COW. This showed just what
each COW was doing. As result Of
the information thus gained, the farm
ers in these associations sold lat IN.
profitable COWS before the end of the
first year.
The best COW Of the 6sS tested, re-
turned profit Of $1O6.77 for the year,
while the poorest showed loss Of
1914. The actual difference in profit
between these two cows was $125.93.
The average profit from the best
COW in each OF the 46 herds tested
was 5000. The average profit from
the poorest COW in each herd was
1868. difference Of $42.41 apiece in
favor of the best cows.
The 200 best COWS made an average
net profit Of $51.S5. The 200 poorest
COWS made q net profit Of 1884. II
the 200 poorest cows could have been
replaced with COWS as good as the
200 best, 1t would have added $6,402
to the net income Of the two test as.
sociations for one year.
The good and poor COWS were scat
tered through the different herds to
a surprising extent. Every herd in
the Pioneer association had one or
more cows in the best one-third, and
20 out Of the % herds had one or
more cows in the poorest one-third
Twenty-one herds out Of the % in
the Benson association had one or
more COWS in the best one-third, and
% out of the % had one or more In
the poorest one-third.
This shows that every farmer has
the poor cow to deal with. There 10
a tail end" to every herd. The prob
lem before the farmer 10 to get rid
of these poor COWS. He can not do
this until he knows for certain which
are the poor ones. The surest and
cheapest way to get this knowledge
is to join a COW testing association.
The extension department at Ames
is anxious to help any one who is in
terested in this work. II you think
there Is any chance to start such an
association in your community write
to the department and ask for their
help. Plans for organization will be
sent on request. If prospects for
starting All association are favorable,
man will be sent from the college
to help get things started.