Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-11-04
HON. F. S. ADAMS
ADDRESS AT CHICAGO
Before the Men Connected with
Various Cow Testing Ass'ns,
On 1.-THE Benefits of Cow Test
ing Associations in Maine"

The following address delivered by
Hon. Frank S. Adams of Bowdoin, Me-,
before the scores of men connected with
the COW testing associations from the
many states represented at the recent
National Dairy show at Chicago was we'll
received and Mr.. Adams was given a vote
of thanks beside many personal words
of appreciation. 1t follows then, that 1T
will be of interest and value to Maine
people and others interested in the same
subject. 1t follows in full:
"The Benefits of Cow Testing Associa-
tions in Maine"
We have at the present time six ac-
tive associations In Maine and several
dormant ones. In organizing associa-
tons in Maine we are handicapped by so
many farmers keeping small herds of
cows. To overcome this, the tester in
many instances works two herds in one
day, when the farmers live near enough.
The price is $3.50 per cow and not less
than $500 for any one herd where il Is
not possible for the tester to work two
herds in one day. The price paid the
tester is usually $40 per month, and in
most of the associations the tester has
his own team.
There are three direct benefits in Maine
to the patrons of an association that
wish to speak about briefly.
First: The farmer is more interested in
his business and it is well known fact
that this is one of the first elements of
success. While the official tester weighs
the milk only once month, quite a few
of the members since joining the associa-
ton have sent to the Agricultural De-
partment for daily record blanks, and
are weighing their milk every day, and
the result is that the farmer is interested
in watching these blanks and if for any
cause there is a decided falling off from
one or several cows, he begins to study
for the reason, to see if it cannot be
remedied. Also, we learn from the same
testimony that the hired men begin to
get interested They do not want to see
the cows that they are milking and feed
ing every day go down in production.
At the end of every month the tester
gets out a monthly report giving the rec
ords of every herd for that month, also
brief summary of the three cows that
month. the three that give the most milk,
and the three that produce butter fat the
cheapest Studying these monthly re-
ports stimulates and interests the mem
bers, and at the meetings of the asso-
citation these reports are compared and
discussed and the member who is pro-
ducing butter fat the cheapest has to tell
how he is doing It,
These meetings of the association are
another interesting feature. Most of the
associations hold meetings either once
month or once a quarter. They are held
at some Grange hall or at the farms of
some of the members. At these meetings
they have a speaker either from the
Agricultural Department or the College
of Agriculture or some practical dairy
man, and the various dairy questions are
discussed, a picnic dinner being served
at noon. 1 think l can say that the
associations that take the most interest
in these meetings and make them promi-
nent are the ones that are doing the best
work, and if l were asked to give the
reasons for some of the associations be-