130 STATE BOAKD OF AGRICULTUKE. 



pense tliau -iipon liis slieep, and it is uot surprising that they should yield the best 

 returns. Another bestows his care and labor upon his sheep, and neglects his 

 cows, and the meagre supply of milk, and the leanness of his larder, convinces 

 him that the royal road to fortune lies in his flocks. The best we can do is to 

 keeji y/ithin the range of the old standard that thirty pounds of flesh requires 

 one pound of good hay, or its equivalent each day, varying somewhat accord- 

 ing to the class of animals under consideration and surrounding circumstances. 

 Upon the basis of eleven cows to one hundred sheep, let us now proceed with 

 our estimates. One hundred sheep cost, as to original investment, $250. 

 They will average six pounds per head at forty cents — $240. The increase will 

 be thirty lambs at $2.50 per head — $75 plus $240 equal $315. Deduct from 

 this shearing and marketing $20, for tagging and washing $10, use of ram $5, 

 equals $35, minus $315 equals $280 income of the flock. 



Eleven cows cost, as to original investment, $440 or $190 more than the 

 sheep. The average yield of milk per day through the cheese-making season 

 just past, has been about twenty-two pounds per cow. The season has been a 

 very poor one, both in pasturage and in the manner in which our farmers have 

 been prepared to meet it. Twenty-five pounds per day is a fair estimate. The 

 yield of the cows per day would be 275 lbs., worth at the factory $2.75. The 

 usual length of the season for cheese is 150 days, which multiplied by 275 

 equals $412.50. At the close of the cheese-making season, the milk may be 

 turned to the manufacture of butter. They will give ten pounds per head for 

 150 days — equals 16,500 lbs. of milk. Allowing twenty-five pounds of milk to 

 one of butter would give us 660 pounds at 25 cts. per pound, $165. Again, 

 eleven calves we may value at $30 and offset the buttermilk against the labor of 

 churning and caring for the butter. $412.50 plus $165 plus $30 equals $607.50. 

 Deduct from this for extra work milking $50, for cartage of milk $25, services 

 of bull $25, for interest on the difference in first investment 819, equals in all 

 $119, less $607.50 equals $488.50 or $208.50 in favor of the cows. 



EECAPITULATIOlf. 



Sheep. Ck. 



By 600 pounds wool, 40 cts. per lb $240 00 



By 30 lambs, at $2.50 each 75 00 



Total $315 00 



Dk. 



To cost of shearing $20 00 



Tagging, washing and use of ram 15 00 



Total " $35 00 



$280 00 



Cows. Ce. 



By milk for cheese making $412 50 



By milk for butter. 165 00 



By cash for calves 30 00 



Total $607 50 



