REPORT OF STATE DAIRY INSTRUCTOR. 21 



With the exception of the feed, these items were largely 

 estimated. The evidence showed that the cows in these herds 

 were producing from 5,000 to 7,000 pounds of milk per year, 

 or from 2325 to 3255 quarts, at a cost of from four to five cents 

 per quart. This is the cost at the farm and leaves nothing 

 against transportation to the creameries or other marke*'^, the 



cost of which it is almost impossible to estimate. 



I am in hopes that when the Boston Chamber of Commerce 

 get through their investigation, ways and means will be devised 

 for cheaper and more efficient methods of transportation and 

 distribution. In the meantime we dairymen must work all the 

 time for more efficient methods in our work of production, im- 

 proving our herds to a high degree of production and raising all 

 the feeds possible on our farms. 



It may seem that what I have said is discouraging to the dairy 

 interests of Maine; but in spite of all that, I still believe dairy- 

 ing to be the best and safest branch of farming. The dair\' 

 business gives employment every day in the year. The different 

 forage crops that are raised on a dairy farm give a long season 

 of sowing and planting in the spring, and an equally long season 

 in harvesting. It means a rotation of crops, which is essential 

 to the most successful farming. There is no branch of farming 

 that will so quickly and successfully increase the fertility of the 

 soil, and this conservation of the fertility seems to be the most 

 important thing that confronts the State of Maine farmers. 

 The market for dairy products does not fluctuate so much as 

 the market for other farm crops, and this gives a most certain 

 source of income. The feed given a dairy cow is returned to 

 the owner tomorrow and can be marketed at once. Good dairy 

 cows will return more human food from a given amount of 

 farm products than any other animal. Prof. Henry says that 

 for each unit of food consumed the dairy cow will return six 

 times as much food material as either the steer or the sheep. 

 She is, then, our most efficient farm animal and will remain 

 after other animalsi have disappeared, except pigs and hens, 

 which can be fed on refuse. More economic management from 

 the soil to the marketing of the products must be studied in 

 order to decrease the cost to the minimum. Many are the 

 problems that must be solved. 



