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Excerpt from Official Records of Pure-Bred Dairy Cows There are in Illinois over cows used for dairy pur poses, of which not over two percent are pure-brecl, and of only a fraction of one percent have accurate records of production been kept either officially or privately. Many dairymen are now add ing to their herds a few pure - bred animals as the beginning of pure - brerl herds, and still larger numbers are using pure - bred sires on grade herds. These are certainly steps in the right direction. Every possible means should be used to raise the average pro duction of dairy cows. Not all persons can have pure-brecl ani mals, but all can use good bulls to grade up their herds, and on of the best ways to convince a man of the value of well - bred stock is to demonstrate to him the effect of a pure-bretl sire on a grade herd. It should be considered little less than a crime to use a scrub' bull, or one whose dam has not produced 300 pounds of butter fat in 365 days. Had careful selection and breeding been practiced for the past sixty years by the dairymen of northern Illinois, that part of the state would' have been known the world over on ac'count of the ex cellence of its dairy cattle. During that time fifteen generations could have been produced, and fifteen generations under careful selection would have worked wonders. Very little concerted action has been taken by even the breeders of pure bred cattle to advance the interests of their respective breeds In some states there are associations for the different breeds, and numerous county or local associations. Wisconsin has about twenty-nine such associations which are doing a great work. Similar organizations sho'uld occupy a more prominent place in Illinois dairying. The herd books show that only a small part of the men owning pure - bred cattle in the state are members of even their national breed associations. The Dairy Cattle Improvement Association of Illinois was organized in 1908, and consisted of men