154 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



est amount of desirable feed at all seasons, including roughage, 

 pasture, green feed with which to supplement his pasture during 

 the summer, succulent food for winter and a part at least of the 

 grain used. He also must understand the selection, breeding 

 and care of dairy animals and must know the proper methods 

 for securing clean milk and caring for the same while it remains* 

 in his care. A successful producer of milk must be a good 

 judge of dairy cattle in order to secure animals that will pro- 

 duce at a profit. He must understand how to provide stables 

 which can be kept clean with the least amount of labor. He 

 must be able to instruct milkers how to secure milk with the 

 least possible chance of contamination and have suitable facili- 

 ties for cooling the product and holding it at a low temperature 

 until it leaves the farm and he must provide means for properly 

 washing and sterilizing the utensils used. The work is con- 

 fining, for if he expects to get good results the milking, feeding 

 and cleaning must be done regularly every day. All of these 

 items represent a considerable outlay of money on which a fair 

 return of interest must be realized, and altogether, such a man 

 must receive a profit if he is to remain in the buisness and 

 make the necessary advancement in his work. 



The man who is not making a profit lacks interest and is 

 quite likely to become slack in his habits with the result that he 

 produces an article of poor quality and is finally forced out of 

 business. There was a time when farmers could keep a few 

 cows without paying any special attention to their care. They 

 could sell milk at a price which seemed satisfactory but at the 

 present time with the high cost of feed and labor and with the 

 sanitary requirements to be met, he must select animals capable 

 of producing at a profit, then study their needs to secure the 

 maximum of production consistent with the cost entailed. It 

 is a fact which must not be forgotten that maijy animals are 

 being kept which do not produce enough milk to pay for their 

 feed and the cost of caring for them. The up-to-date farmer 

 now realizes this and he is striving to weed out the boarders 

 and to keep only those that are capable of producing at a profit*. 

 At the time when farmers were satisfied to milk their cows for 

 six months and allow them to go dry the other six months, 

 they figured that what they received was practically all profit 



