Show COW V TESTING HELPS FARMER Members of Associations Enabled to t Hire Tester to Keep Records Records- Expense Is Not Great By PROF OSCAR ERI ERP Ohio State Slate Un Year after year many farmers milk cows that do not pay for the feed that they cat eat Cow testing associations assist the farmer In finding out those cows that cost him money to keep and those that are making money f for r him Some cows start their lactation n period with a heavy milk flow but soon dr drop p to an ordinary flow Other cows cos give a a more regu regu- lar ar flow throughout the year At the end of the year the latter tatter cows will have bave probably produced the most milk but the farmer very often will wm consider con sider skier the cows that started well the most profitable The main purpose of cow testing associations is to enable the members to hire a tester to keep records which in practice it is almost Impossible for farmers to keep for themselves Another feature of tho the testers tester's work is to work out for tor the farmers the m most st economical rations for their herds The expense to the tho members of the association will be per year for each cow In their herds io i f T To o many farmers it may seem unnecessary un necess necessary to hire a man to do work which they are perfectly capable of doing Many farmers are un unquestionably question unquestionably ably able abie to do this work but it is unlikely unlikely un un- likely that during the pressure of farm tarm w work rk they will do it once ence has made the tester rapid and accurate He has at his finger ends the strength of the acid he uses the amount to charge for roughage and concentrated feeds and the analysis of the common feeds It will take the average farmer some time to become become be be- come familiar enough with the things to do the work ork as well as-well well as the tester Not only do the testers tester's records show which cows make or lose m money ney for tor their owners but they show to what extent each cow is profitable and what kind of feed at the prevailing prevail ing price produces the most most economic returns |