(D) Monthly statement of all feeds given the animal, as follows: 2-Number of days on pasturage and kind of pasturage; 4-Weight and kinds of cured hay fed; 5-Weight and kinds of grain fed; 6-Weight and kinds of roots or tubers fed; 7-Weight and kinds of ensilage fed; 8-Weight and kinds of other feeds. (E) Monthly statement of costs of feed as given in (D) based on schedule of prices to be furnished by the Extension Division. (F) Weight of baby-beef on the day it is 18 months old, or within two days of such date, certified to by competent witnesses. (G) Monthly statement describing method of caring for and handling the animal during such month. (H) Brief story of "How I Raised My Baby-Beef" in final report. (7) Labor of Contestant-The labor and expense of contestant in building pens, shelters, etc., and in the feeding, care, and handling of the animal are not factors in the contest. (8) Judging-The report will be scored on the following basis: (1) Weight of Baby-Beef-The score for this will be the quotient obtained by dividing the final weight of the baby-beef by 30. (2) Cost Per Pound of Gain-The score for this will be obtained by first dividing the total cost of feed by the net gain in weight, to obtain the cost per pound of gain, and then dividing 160 by this quotient to obtain the score. (3) Score of Animal-During the last six months of the contest in each division, the Extension Service Field agents, or some competent person appointed by the Director, will visit each contestant and score the baby-beef, 15 per cent of such total score being the score for the animal as above. (4) Report-The report will be judged as follows: (9) Deciding a Tie Score for Championship-Should it happen that two or more contestants tie with like scores for the state, county, or district championships or prizes, the question of deciding the awards will be in accordance with the following procedure: By allowing 1 score point to all who have exhibited at the state or any county or authorized local fair held within 25 miles of their place of residence; 2 score points to exhibitors at the state or a county fair if living more than 25 miles and less than 100 miles distant; 3 score points to exhibitors' at the State Fair, if living more than 100 miles and less than 200 miles distant; 4 score points if living more than 200 miles and less than 300 miles distant; and 5 score points if living over 300 miles distant-distance in all instances except the first being computed by the shortest railroad route. In the event that such method fails to result in a choice, then the champiopship will be decided on the basis of the one who has, in the opinion of the Extension Division, demonstrated the best methods of feeding and handling the baby-beef. The contestant selected by such last-mentioned procedure will receive one additional score point, and so win the championship. (10) General Advice to Contestants-Put the knowledge gained in the study of cattle, Lessons I-VI, inclusive, Animal Husbandry Series, in practice, chiefly in the selection of the baby-beef. This may not always be possible, as the calf frequently may be a gift from relatives and the opportunity for selection of a good beef type may therefore be limited to the calf that happens to be available. If you can get a pure-bred or high-grade Hereford, Shorthorn, Polled Angus, or Galloway, so much the better. However, any calf (other than a Jersey or Guernsey), if containing some beef strain and properly fed, will make good baby-beef. This is fairly true, even of the pure-bred Holsteins, but the Hereford or (beef) Shorthorn cross with the Holstein is better. DAIRYING PROJECT Four Months' Practical Course in Use of Babcock Tester PROJECT OUTLINE This project is given in detail in Bulletin No. 2 of the Agricultural Extension Division, which will be mailed free on request. It provides a four months' course in the use of the Babcock tester and herd record work for boys 13 years of age and older, leading to a certificate as Qualified Cow Tester. The development of the dairy industry in any State or country must be based on the testing of the annual milk and butter-fat production of the individual cows of the herds. It is a work of the highest importance and from which comes the rapid advance in dairying methods and profits. The system pursued elsewhere and in Nevada, to date, is the "CowTesting Association." This has its merits and demerits. The purpose of this project is not to attempt to supplant it (in any district where a cow-testing association can be successfully maintained), but to supplement it. It provides opportunity for the testing of dairy herds where it would be impossible to maintain a cow-testing association. The cost per cow in the regular cow-testing associations is about $1.50 per year. We are convinced that not only can our farm boys do such herd record work as well as the average cow tester, but that they can do it for $1 per cow per annum and make an attractive income from it without interfering with their other duties. Our slogan in respect to cow testing is "LET THE NEIGHBOR'S BOY DO IT!" (1) Schedule-Contestants may begin on June 1, 1916, and thereafter on December 1, February 1, April 1, or June 1, of each year. (2) Contestants-The contestants in this project will be farm families engaged in butter-making, who market at least 50 pounds of butter per annum over and above home consumption. (3) Terms and Conditions of Contest-These may be summarized as follows: (a) Enrollment of farm as a contestant; (b) Compliance with the requirements mentioned in project outline; and (c) Submission of the report required. (4) Farm Enrollment-The application card must contain the names of those on the farm who actually make the butter; the average quantity produced; number of cows in herd, and average quantity of butter marketed. The farm, however, only will appear in the contest, and in the name in which the butter is sold. That is to say, if the butter is sold as "Jones Farm" butter, or "Clover Leaf Farm" butter, that name will be used in the contest, together with the county and district in which it is located, instead of the names of those who make it. Creameries may not enter in this contest. (5) Agreement-The contestant agrees to mail or express (prepaid) to the Agricultural Extension Division, University of Nevada, Reno (or such other address as may be specified) in a prescribed kind of container, a sample of butter from the first churning in the months mentioned in (1), beginning with the given month of enrollment, a total of six samples in all. It is optional with the contestant to continue longer. than one year. (6) Scoring the Butter-The samples of butter received will be scored by the State Leader in Dairying, the Professor of Dairying of the College of Agriculture, and possibly a third qualified butter-maker. The score-card will be the standard card used in scoring butter. The Extension Division will return to each contestant a copy of the scoring for such farm butter with a statement explaining the defects and how to correct them. Thus it is expected that from one scoring to another there will be a steady improvement in quality. The butter in all instances will be scored precisely the same and as rigidly as though it were creamery butter. (7) Publication of Highest Scores-Beginning with the scoring in October the three highest scores in the State will be published after each scoring, as also the highest score in each county, providing such county score is above 88. None of the other scores will be published. Aside from the publication of such high scores, no information will be given out regarding contestants. Thus contestants need fear no adverse advertising. (8) State and County Champion Butter-Makers-Beginning with July 1, 1917, and annually thereafter, on January 1 and July 1 of each year, will be announced the Champion Home Butter-Making Farm of the State, and of each county, providing the county score is 90 or better. The score for each contestant will be the sum of the three last preceding bimonthly scores (within the half year) divided by three, for the average score. In the event of a tie, the fourth last preceding score will be included to settle the championship. Each such champion will hold such title until the next semiannual contest elects a new champion. A prize will be announced prior to January 1, 1918, to the first contestant who wins the State Championship a second time. (9) Method of Scoring-Each contestant will be given a number which will be marked on the bottom of the prescribed container (all precisely alike) and which will be covered in such manner that the number cannot be seen until the scoring is completed. No marks or other method of identifying the samples and containers will be permitted. The container with its sample of butter will be mailed in a regulation mailing carton with a printed or typewritten address upon it. The clerk of the Extension Division, or some other disinterested person, will remove the containers from the cartons, see that the numbers are covered and that there are no identifying marks, mix them up so that it is impossible to tell one from another, and deliver them to the judges. The latter will then place their own identifying numbers on the containers, and proceed to score the samples. When the scoring is completed and each scorecard signed, the cover pasted over the contestant's number will be torn off, and the several score-cards identified according to tontestants. In this way the judges will never know whose butter they are scoring; hence the results will be absolutely impartial. Visitors may attend to witness the manner in which the judging is conducted. (10) Reports-When the sixth sample of butter is sent in for judging, the contestant will be asked to fill out a blank form describing the method of handling the cream and churning and handling the butter. June 24, 1915 Bulletin No. 83, Technical THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA The Value of High-Level Meteorological Data in By S. P. FERGUSSON Associate Meteorologist of the Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station and Professor of Meteorology and Climatology in the University of Nevada |