NEED OF DAIRY IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION 

 WORK IN NEW YORK STATE 



A. J. XicoLL, Delhi, 'N. Y. 



Farmers' Institute Lecturer 



According to the census of 1900, the 1,501,608 dairy cows in 

 iSTew York State produced an average of 4,378 pounds of milk 

 for each cow. The 1910 census reported 1,509,594 cows, with 

 an average production of 4,-110 pounds of milk, or a gain of 

 only 32 pounds for each cow in the ten years. In thirty-two of 

 the counties, the average production for each cow was less in 

 1910 than in 1900. In seven of the counties the decrease was 

 over 1,000 pounds of milk for each cow, according to Circular 17 

 of the State College of Agriculture. While the production of 

 the average cow does not seem to be increasing as it should, the 

 cost of production has been going up very rapidly. Few dairymen 

 realize that the cost of producing milk in ISTew York State has 

 about doubled in the last fifteen years. Yet if we look at some of 

 the items that enter into the cost of production we shall see that 

 this is true. 



INVESTMENT IN DAIEY CATTLE 



A herd of dairy cattle consists of cows, yearling heifers, heifer 

 calves, and herd Inill. At the present time the investment in a 

 dairy herd is twice as much, or in other words is 100 per cent 

 higher than it was in the year 1900. If the value of dairy cattle 

 has increased 100 per cent within fifteen years, the depreciation 

 has been increased in proportion ; for cattle grow old, become dis- 

 eased, and die, just as they did when they cost only half as much 

 as they do now. 



The roughage consumed by the dairy herds, based on the value 

 of hay as quoted in the Rural New Yorker of October 6, 1900, 

 and October 2, 1915, shows an increase in value of 36 per cent. 

 The grain required by the herd, most of which is purchased, is 50 

 per cent higher than it was on October 1, 1900, as shown by the 

 following table, which gives the prices of the feeds sold to the 



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