50 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



In tnivelling along tho roads in tlie winter months, how many 

 places do 3'ou see wheie the farmers throw the dressing out of the 

 tie-up windows, \uKler the eaves of their barns. That which they 

 throw out is only the solids which come from their stock while the 

 liquid portions have gone under their barns and are lost. In the spring 

 the rain comes from the eaves and drenches these heaps, the snow 

 begins to thaw, and all the goodness that is in them begins to run 

 out, and close by is a little brook, where all these streams run in. 

 So, nearly all the manure from the stock which is accumulated through 

 the winter and thrown out those windows is lost to the farm. When 

 planting time comes the fanner finds he can plant but little corn, 

 because he has but little dressing. 



The ftirming operation is a larger business than many farmers 

 consider. It is a business that needs a great deal of care and the 

 strictest attention, especially in connection with the barn work ; that 

 is the key to success on the farm. Any farmer that wants to get 

 rid of work, by disposing of his crops in the easiest way, selling 

 them off in the fall of the A'ear for what they will bring, is the man 

 that w-ants to sell out and leave the business. P^ver}' man that sells 

 off his crops — as these charts represent to 3'ou — is selling so much 

 of his farm every 3'ear, and in a few^ years it is all gone. I judge 

 b}' 30ur looks to-day that none of you believe in selling off the 

 crops from your farms. I know that you believe there is more profit 

 in manufacturing them into some other product by keeping stock. 

 But it is so much work to do it. It pays to hire men to eany this 

 work on, but there must be somebody to see to it in order to make 

 it pay. 



I wish to saj- one word more, as to the cost of the production of 

 milk. I would say that from the experiments last winter of seven 

 different dairymen it was ascertained that we could not raise milk in 

 the winter mouths, from the middle of November to the middle of 

 May, for less than three cents per quart, while in the summer months 

 it is produced for a fraction less than one cent per quart, when the 

 cows have a good pasture ; and you will find by the figures that have 

 been made that it amounts to a small fraction over two cents per 

 quart, taking it the year through. 



Sec. Gilbert. Your estimate is on the basis that you will produce 

 about the same amount of milk in the winter months as in the sum- 

 mer months? 



Mr. Cobb. Yes. 



