132 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. . 



The two other large items are labor and feed. We found at 

 the College that our yearly labor bill per cow, amounted to 

 $33.60. A study of several other herds in Connecticut showed 

 a labor cost of from $27.00 to $40.00 per year per cow. To be 

 on the safe side, that is, not to charge too much, we will allow 

 an average of $30.00 per year. This seems high, but if you will 

 consider the fact that the cow must be milked about 320 days 

 every year and that it cannot be done for less than 4 cents 

 per day, you will see that milking alone accounts for nearly 

 half of the $30.00. Besides this, the cow must be fed, the 

 barn cleaned out, the cow cleaned off, the utensils washed, the 

 milk cooled, and a large number of small chores attended to. 

 All this takes time and means money, so that $30.00 is not too 

 much to allow for labor. 



The cost of feeding a cow is not difficult to obtain. Of 

 course there is a great difference in the amount fed among 

 dairymen. We find in Connecticut that a cow that will produce 

 over 6000 pounds of milk, requires about llie following amount 

 of feed in one year. 



Com silage, 4 tons at S4.00 $16 00 



Hay, li tons at $16.00 20 00 



Grain, U tons at S30.00 37 50 



Pasture (5 months) 10 00 



$83 50 



This calls for a daily ration during the winter months, 220 

 days, as follows : 



Daily ration, 35 lbs. Silage 

 12 •■ Hay 

 "2 ' ' Wheat Bran 

 2 • ' Corn Meal 

 2 ' ' Gluten Feed 

 2 ' ' Cottonseed Meal 



