1 82 



AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



use of the above items each individual can determine almost 

 exactly the cost of keeping a cow on his farm. 



PROFIT AND LOSS ON 203 COWS. 



The following table gives the return above feed cost of 203 

 cows that completed a year's work, arranged in order of profit 

 above feed cost. 



Crediting the cows with $18.00, the value of the calf and the 

 manure, and arranging them in order of profit the results are 

 as follows. 



$56.70 represents the expense of keeping a cow above feed 

 cost, when she has been credited with the calf and manure. 



139.5 cows or 68.5 per cent of the cows paid a profit, while 

 64 or 31.5 per cent were kept at a loss. For reasons already 

 stated these figures represent conditions considerably above the 

 average. Of the 103 cows nearly all were sold because they 

 were found to be unprofitable. This would indicate that one- 

 half of the cows in the Association more than paid for all 

 the expenses entering into the cost of production. 



It does not follow that every cow which failed to return 

 $56.70 above feed cost was kept at a loss. Some food such as 

 pasture and certain kinds of roughage raised on the farm has 

 been marketed which otherwise might have had little or no 

 value. 



