Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-11
Weekly Bureau of In
formation for All Who
Till the Soil or Are Inter-
cstcd in Making Homes
COOPERATIVE TESTING
: TO LEARN ABOUT YOUR cow

Cow testing associations are proving
great thing for dairymen in some
sections Of Virginia. and J. l.. Bishop
dairy husbandmsn of the extension di-
, vision or the Virginia Polytechnic In
ttiiutc. il anxious that moro OF these
associations should be formed. lie
says:
Under Tho Influence OF high prices
:rr feed and an increasing shortage
Of tabor. tho dairymcn Begin to realize
mat the low-producng COW. with the
poor MANAGEMENT that usually accom-
ranles her. Will lose money Tor them
fa#ter than ever acforc.
my small number oc milk pro-
duoors have the Information. which
Would enable them. 20 determine accu-
:aic!y What il costs them to produce
:. quar-: OF milk o. wha: return their
Individual COWS give Tor i unit of feed
grown or purchased il is his lack
If Information that has made i. SO.
difficult 70. tn. dairy farmer &c secure
al increased price. for milk in keeping
with Increased cos; of production.
Now the dairynan has been thrown
!nio tn meir" OF Sroat Wa. crisis
ana told - sink or SWIM" and At
last IS Bleeding the pica of those who
have pied with MIN FOR years 10 weed
"Gt iow-1coducinS and unprodtab bic
cows. Lass yea. in tn. State OF Wis
consul 10 per cent cf the COWS on test
IN cnw-;est!cs associations were found
III This c!2ss. and dispensed w;;h.
What determines whether feed is
high? The same factors whic! in the
end determine it's value. the man and
;Hr COW. some dairymcn. with the
Cs:wS they hove are not justified in
feeding bran at $50 a ton. while others
can feed it with Il profit at $40. II is
n ,;,,n H..l ,iNc
cesd is too high for his kind OF dairy
irc; by Joining a cow tasting associa-
ton.
som. mixers believe they can tell
the good producers from the poor ones
without Eecpin- records &c production.
Herd records show tina, COWS produc-
in- n moderate amount of milk per-
sistsn:ly arc often more profitable than
fresh heavy mixers, which are dry
large portion ot the year; the memory
Of tho fun pail IT the fresh heavy
milkcr fingers long time. The only
way TO determine the production Of
COW accurately is to weigh aud test
her milk. The only way TO feed herd
cconomicaiiy is 70 feed each individual
COW the amount she is able TO use
proiitably.
Ii IS the drag Of the poor COW that
keeps the majority Of our dairyrIcr
from increasing their profits. Many OF
these COWS are Improbable because
they are naturally unable to convert
feed into milk economically while
many others arc Improbable because
they are not given n proper chance 10
mako a profit. II i absurd TO think
We know how to feed a COW unless
know her production. or her capacity
for production. and the man who mixes
mp u ration out Of proportion 70 the
needs Of a cow. and then feeds IL 20
n COW that was never intended to
produce milk, will find feed 50 high
md dairying Improbable that no
increase in price tor milk could save
his business from disa stcr.
Feed Is the greatest expense itom in
producing milk. !; is not good bust
ness to buy feed ct a fixed price, I'M
less one knows a what price that feed
is marketed; and 1t IS cGually as poor
business 10 market homegrown feed
without Showing what price is OBJ
;anc,i.
Any farmer can weigh anG test and
hocp his own records Of production and
cost accounts, hut less expensive and
more satisfactory method is through
The aid OF cow-tcst.ng association.
which IS smplr a group OF farmers
Who join III employing man 10 weigh
end t"st the m.lk - the !nuividuni
COWS in each herd once month anu
compute the yearly production from
th's" monthly tests. as we'll as Keep
record Of feed costs This makes II
production, and 10 balance her account
AZ the end Of tho m',llh or end of the
year
On July !. 1917, thcr" were 49, ar-
tive cow-tcst!ng associations in the
United States. This is an increase ot
log, or about 30 PEI cent over the
humber in operation year previous.
h'S" associations a"c located in
iN'r;y-four different State. ana in
cue" li.,2~. herds. totalliny, approNi-
maj ~. l.-o.. ."tS. Hut this number
Is less than oor cent of tho da Try
o0Ns in the country. Wisconsin has
"iShty-on" associations; Vermont A.:
New York. 80. OHIO ard Iowa each. 30;
PENNSYLVANIA and Minnesota each. -
ON either side ~ Virginia. Marvland
ana Ionn"sso" each mas eight. while
Virginia has only four. Shall virginia.
N'th It's apHroN inately 900. 900 dairy
'p"S' SIT io'y hv wnilr o,hcr .;,otas
az about nor STARE in this yyo-.rv
""rH: HT;alEiy II - not h,."ausc Viz
Hl".h does rol need Tho work