COW-TESTING ASSOCIATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 800, 25 April 1910, Page 10

COW-TESTING ASSOCIATIONS.

'AMERICAN SYSTEM. . In view of; the'Jsnccess; Govern-, ment herd-testing r at Dalefield and the talk of starting private associations, it is worth while': noting how the\ herd tests, are conducted in America and Canada. Tho associations are organised on this plan: Krst ;it is necessary to go into ,a .community and determine whether there are enough men, with large enough ■her,ds,-interested in such a proposition. If- it is foiind upon investigation that 25' or 26, dairymen can be induced to joiri an association of this kind, then an organisation may bo formed.!,lt will require: from 350 to 10ft cows before a man can be obtained that is capable of doing the testing, .weighing the milk, recording the amount of feed consumed, and keeping, the records.

' The man who: takes •cliarg^'Tof-such an' association is'cal!ey v and it is his duty to,. <spei;d a.day,,each.month on, every member's r farm and' 1 weigh and test the milk of each cow in the herd. " For his services the, member contributes 4s. 2d. per cow. per year. .At the end of the 12 months, the .tester estimates from the weighings and tests that. he : has obtained the amount of milk the animal produces, the average amount of fat in every test, and .the cost ,of production. It gives the xhember,- a .complete record of every animal in'his herd, and costs him the sum of ~ls. 2d v per cow. _ The-tester is taken to" each' member'splnce- by the member whose herd he visited last. This is kept up until a complete . circuit is made, which-takes a full month to accomplish. Wisconsin has ten of these and they are giving most excellent satis-, faction..'.. . ... '

: If,: on'investigation; there found an opportunity to form an 1 association in any community,..a:,'letter is'.'.written -to the Chief of the Dairy Division,: Washington, requesting him to' send a man for the purpose .of: .helping to organise such an association.' The Dairy Division is doing this sort'of work, and: furnishes by-laws nndjnstruction gratuitously to any community wishing to take up,.this kind of work.' 'The ' cow-testing -association can broaden its'field by'holding dairy meetings,, purchasing purebred sires, and helping the. members, to'secure better cows.