The Raymer enterprise., 1912-10-31
FOR MORE PuRE.BRED STOCK
Growing Interest Seen In co.opera.
tive Breeding for Encouraging
Hish.Grade Dairy Stock.

Coincident with the development OF
the work OF COW testing associations
has been an interest in cooperative
breeding, or circuit breeding for the
purpose Of encouraging and facilitat-
ing the growing Of pure.bred and high.
grade dairy stock. The main centers
Of activity along this line OF work Of
which reports are available have been
in Maine. Minnesota, Michigan and
North Dakota.
The general plan OF these associa.
tions In Maine Is as follows: A
community of farmers interested In
the improvement of some one breed
of cattle form an association binding
themselves by an agreement to ad.
vance the interests Of that breed and
to use only registered sires. The
bulls are purchased by the associa.
tion from among the best herds of
the breed represented and are used
on the herds Of the members OF the
association, regardless OF whether the
cows are pure bred or grades, until
such time as inbreeding would result,
says the Dakota Farmer. A general
shift is then made, giving each mem.
ber new male without any addition.
al expense. The most productive ami
NAL soon becomes known by the value
of his get. II 1t is desired to sell
pure-bred or high.grade stock for
breeding purposes. advertising is
done through the association and the
sales made by its agent.
The cooperative breeding of milk.
ing Short.horns by the Minnesota ex-
pertinent station, in cooperation with
this department, was taken up in 1907.
The associations are organized from
among men who have bred and han.
died pure-bred Short.horns for milk
and beef production. Meetings are
held two a year to discuss matters of
interest to the co-operators. to report
progress made, and to suggest plans
for improving the work. A circuit
superintendent Is employed who, un.
der the direction OF council consist.
Ing Of the president Of the association.
a representative OF the department Of
agriculture and representative from
the state experiment station. advises
and directs the general management
Of the herds. and keeps record OF feed
consumed. milk produced and breeding
power Of the animals In the circuit.
He spends two days with each mem.
ber. during which he weighs the milk
produced by each COW and makes but.
ter fat determinations. From these
daily records kept by the owner the
annual records Of milk and butter fat
production are computed
The Holsteln cattle work at the
North Dakota experiment station, In
cooperation with this department, was
begun In 1909. According to the an.
nual report for 1911 Of the bureau Of
animal Industry OF this department.
a years record Of all the cows In the
herds was completed January / and
showed that some Of the pure.bred
cows produced over 500 pounds OF but.
ter during the year
The work OF the Michigan station
was inauguratcd In 1908 under the
direction OF field agent appointed by
the state experiment station. During
the first five months work ten co.
operative associations were formed
md seven others were In process OF
formation. About fifty registered
sires were introduced, and 2.1O0 cows,
which were bred to grade and scrub
sires In 1907 were bred to registered
bulls In 1908 and 1909.