The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-06-09


tion is to enable It's members TO hire
a tester to keep records, which, in
practice, It is almost impossible for
the farmer to do himself. The Knox
County Association completed its first
year in June and reorganized for the
present year with all of last years
members included excepting two
There are 26 members, limited to this
number because of their being twenty.
six working days in month The
present membership covers territory
from east of Gambler almost to Lever
ing and west to the vicinity of Lucern-
Vile.
The tester who has had special train
ing at the dairy department of o. S. u,
visits each member monthly, arriving
at the farm in time for the evening
milking. He weighs the milk given by
each COW in the herd and takes a sam
pie to test for butter fat He weighs
the feed, estimates the roughage and
pasture of each COW, and arrives at
the cost of feed for the month. The
following morning the individual pro-
duction of the herd is again weighed,
another sample taken, and butter
fat test applied to the two samples to
determine the per cent of butter fat
in each cows milk. From these figures
it is possible to estimate the amount
of milk and butter fat given in a
month by each COW and set against
it the value of feed consumed. This
method, of course, does not produce
scientific accuracy but careful tests
have shown the results are within two
per cent of actual production and cost.
Many dairymen weigh the milk from
each milking of their COWS and in this
way secure the exact production of
milk for any given time. Another fea-
ture of the testers work is to advise
with the members relative to the feed
ing and work out the most economical
rations. He also tests the skim milk
after it has been separated to deter
mine if the separator is working prop
erly and that no loss occurs by reason
of butter fat escaping into the skim
milk. The expenses are borne by
the members in proportion to the mum.
Der of COWS under test. In our asso-
citation the cost is $1.50 per COW per
year with minimum of $500 per
herd per year. On this basis there are
about $50 cows entered for testing.
Each member furnishes board and
lodging for the tester for the time he
is at his farm. Each member has an
individual book, in which the tester
makes all records and at the end of
the year, makes a summary showing
exactly what each COW has done,
whether she was money maker or a
money loser. 1t also shows the amount
of feed given each COW and what
kinds of feed at prevailing prices pro-
duced the most satisfactory financial
returns. The association also has a
ledger in which the record of every
cow is kept. The summary for the
past year has not been entirely com.
pleted, but the average milk for all
COWS entered was about 5000 pounds
and butter fat about 265 pounds. The
books are now being audited by the
Dairy Department of the Ohio State
University, and the records will be
published later.
You will note that the primary OBJ
ject of these testing associations is to
determine the profit or loss of each in
dividual cow, with the result that by
breeding from the better cows and by
the elimination of the poorer individ-
uals and the substitution of better ami
mails, the herd can be built up and
placed on satisfactory paying basis.
1t has been demonstrated in associa-
tions that frequently dairyman could
dispose Of half his herd after having
them tested and still receive a greater
margin OF profit and not be burdened
with one half his herd as star board
ers. The indirect results are also num-
erous. One of the most important is
an increase in the interest which men,
bers will take in their work Dairy
work, consisting as it does, in large
part of manual labor, is apt to become
monotonous unless there is intelligent
interest in the operations and unless
the farmer has something special in
view The monthly visit of the tester
stimulates this interest. He brings
new ideas relating to the management
of the cows, to barn arrangements,
ETC., and the owner will endeavor at
all times to surpass his previous
months record. Another benefit is in
meetings of the association when
points of interest and questions of diff
ficulty and information are discussed
and at the meetings we generally have
q Snnakar Of avnariapna RI oddracc