Cost of Milk Pkoduction. 81 



Wheat bran 18 00 per ton. 



Oats 85 per bushel. 



Cotton-seed meal 25 00 per ton. 



Corn meal 20 00 per ton. 



Corn stalks 3 00 per ton. 



Grass, cut and carried to cows 1 75 per ton. 



Pasture, exclusive of grain and silage crops 30 per week. 



It was somewhat difficult to estimate the value of the cornstalks and 

 the second growth clover used for soiling, since the materials, particu- 

 larly the cornstalks, varied widely in the amount of water contained in 

 them. But as fair an estimate as could be made seemed to be the 

 figures given. In order to estimate with some degree of accuracy the 

 proper charge to be made for pasture, the following letter was sent to 

 representative farmers in thirteen counties in those parts of the State 

 where dairying is a leading industry: 



" Dear Sir. — Will you please tell me what you consider a fair esti- 

 mate per week of the cost of pasturing a cow in milk during the 

 whole season; not what people in villages pay for a cow or so, but 

 what it costs dairymen keeping cows in large herds. Please base your 

 estimates upon your own county." 



To this thirteen replies were received from the counties of Broome, 

 Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, 

 Lewis, Montgomery, Oneida, Orange, St. Lawrence and Tompkins. 

 The average of the whole was 33 cents per week. Three of the 

 replies were above 45 cents; eight between 25 and 35 cents, and two 

 were below 25 cents. A discussion of the matter, by the various mem- 

 bers of the Station Staff, had already decided upon 30 cents as a fair 

 price, and that price had been used as the value of the pasture. The 

 cows were charged with pasturage from May 9th to November 

 1st. During November they were turned in the pasture on pleasant 

 days and ate more or less grass; but as they were on full winter 

 rations, both of grain and coarse fodder during the month, it was not 

 thought best to make any charge for the small amount of frosted 

 grass they might have eaten. 



In Table VII is given the cost of the food consumed by each 

 animal; the total number of pounds of milk and fat produced and the 

 cost of a hundred pounds of milk and one pound of fat for each indi- 

 vidual and the average for the whole. The average cost of food con- 

 sumed was $45.25; the highest for any one cow was $53.38 for the 

 cow Shadow; the lowest, $36.24, for Gem Valentine. The average 



11 



