South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-11-20
ASSOCIATIONS CUT
FARMERS costs
Cooperation Enables Dairy
men to Have Use of Pure
Bred Animal at Low Price.

A cooperative bull association is
farmers organization. the CHIEF
purpose of which is the joint own
ership and use of high-class pure
bred bulls. The association also
may encourage careful selection Of
COWS. obtain better prices for dairy
products, introduce better methods
of buying and selling cattle, work
for improved sanitary conditions, in
telligently fight contagious diseases
OF cattle. and in many other ways
assist the dairy business.
The owners of small herds OF
grade cows often feel that they can
not afford TO purchase valuable pure
bred bulls. In consequence they buy
scrubs, or breed their cows to a
scrub bull or an inferior pure-bred
bull on some nearby farm. One
year a Holstein bull may be used,
the next year Jersey and occasion
ally bull of no particular breeding.
The work of the cooperative bull
associations makes il possible for
any farmer TO own a share in a
pure bred bull of high quality.
A quill association in its simplest
form may consist of three farmers
who together purchase three good
registered bulls of the same breed.
Each farmer keeps one of these
, bulls for two years. at the end Of
which time the bulls are exchanged
to prevent inbreeding. For the same
reason a second exchange is made
at the end of four years. In this
way. by paying the purchase price
of only one bull, each member OF
the association has the use of good
pure bred bulls for six years. \
/ larger membership in the associa-
ton may either reduce expenses or
make possible the purchase Of bet
ter bulls.
Large Body is Better.
The ideal association is composed
of a much larger body of farmers.
1t Jointly owns five bulls divides its
territory into five breeding blocks, -
and assigns one bull to each block.
AS many as so or 60 COWS may be-
long 10 the farmers in each block,
and the bull is kept on some farm
centrally located. The blocks are
numbered from 1 10 3, and every
two years the bulls are moved for
ward 10 the next block. If all the
I bulls live and are retained until
| each has made one complete cir
cult no new bulls have TO be pur-
chased during a period of ten years.
As soon as the daughters freshen,
evidence of the sire's true value be-
gins 10 accumulate. This is the only
true test of a bulls real value, but
il is self evident that this test can
not be applied until the bull APP
proaches the age of four years. In
ordinary farm practice bulls are US
ually disposed of before their true
value can be known. The co-opera-
tive bull association makes il posi-
BILE TO obtain several years service
from bulls that transmit desired
! qualities and TO eliminate all others.
! The original cost of the five bulls
and their annual cost of mainte-
nance are usually divided among tne
members of the association accord
ing TO the number of COWS owned by
each. Records on file in the dairy
division of the department show that
the members of associations now or
ganized are getting the service of
these high-class pure-bred bulls al
an average cost considerably less
than they formerly paid for the sell
vice of scrub bulls or registered
bulls Of doubtful merit. Many far
mers in Maryland. Michigan, and
\ Minnesota. when questioned regard
/ ing the value of cooperative bull
associations, estimated that the use
of sires belonging to the association
/ increased the value Of offspring In
the first generation from 80 10 So
per cent. The average Of these es-
tin ates was 65 per cent.
The educational work of each as
ISOLATION makes the members alert
10 prevent the introduction and
spread of disease of any kind. The
well-managed bull association re-
quires that eli cattle belonging tc
its members shall be tested for tu-
berculosis and takes every known
y precaution 10 prevent the introduc-
ton of CONTAGIOUS abortion.
! II is greatly 10 the advantage OF
a cooperative association that II be
incorporated under state laws This
facilitates the transaction OF busi-
!. ness, equitably distributes respon-
sibility, and gives the organization
greater prestige in the community
! Cooperative bull associations have
been common in Denmark for many
years, but the first associations OF
/, the kind in the United states were
organized in 1903 by the Michigan
Agricultural college. In this coun-
try their growth has not been rapid
but as a rule, they have been high
! " successful If skillfully MANAGED
thew may be made a great factor IT
the upbuilding OF profitable dairyinG
in this country.
SELECTING SHOW CORN.