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iIR- CTT)LE- UD"POEME
   Our three active cow testing associations have been providing
,curate information to eighty herd-owners in the county. Keeping
i active record of butterfat production of each cow is the only
iy of determining profitable cows to keep in the herd. It is
i the strength of these known productions that we have been able
) provide farmers from time to time as to the type of herd sire
buy so that his herd might be improved above his present pro-
iction.  During the past few years we have been gradually lower-
'Lg the quality of our herds in the county in general. We have
t every opportunity tried to bring this to the attention of our
armers and to encourage them as individuals and as groups to take
ac necessary steps to re-establish some of the fine herds we once
l d.
   Because of the delay of our State Legislature to make the
lcessary appropriations for Bangs   Eradication work, we have not
3en fit to push the Bang's Eradication in St. Croix County this
ast year. We have - at the present time - no assurance as to when
ur county can be area tested providing 75 % of the herd owners
a the county so desire. We hope that sufficient funds will be
ade available in the very near future so that St. Croix County,
s well as other counties that desire the test, may do so. At the
resent time, there are about a dozen counties in the state that
ave already been Bang's tested and are enjoying the benefits that
o with an area test.
   As a result of a lot of hard work put in by one of our testers,
dolph Hornig, two cooperative Bull Rings have been formed this
ast year. One is a ring consisting of four farmers who own Jersey
erds - Jenson Bros., River Falls; Bill Jonsin, River Falls;
alter Karnos, Spring Valley; and Vim. Heebink, Baldwin. They have
rganized a cooperative bull ring and have purchased four young
ulls to be.used in the~se four herds. Each farmer will use a bull
or one year and then the bull will be switched to another herd
nd rotated once each year. The four Guernsey breeders - Bernard
asaw, Hudson; Enmmet Jensen, River Falls; Newton Pearson, River
alls; and Ralph Katner, Hudson have organized and have already
urchased two of their bulls. As a result of this type of herd
ire service - combined with a sound testing program - these farmers
ill be able to find out which of the herd sires are satisfactory
nd can use them in building the fine herds that they wish.
    Because there has been a considerable kick-back from the
'esults farmers are getting from using bulls loaned to farmers by
ome truckers and others, the Baldwin Bull Association was formed.
'his Association has been sponsored by the Farmers Cooperative
roduce Association of Baldwin, the Baldwin Cooperative Creamery,
he First National Bank of Baldwin, and the Security State Bank
f Baldwin. They have pooled money for buying young bulls from
ows of known production. This Bull Association is well under way
nd the bulls have proved a boon to those farmers who have already
aken advantage of 1t,
7.