Vermont Dairymen's Association. 43 



DISCUSSION. 



A Member: — What breed of cows do you keep? 



Prof. Dean : — Our herd consists of Holsteins, Ayrshires, 

 Jerseys and a number of ordinary grade cows. We have to 

 keep these several breeds for educational and experimental pur- 

 poses. 



A Member :— Which does the best as judged by the tests 

 that you have actually made? 



Prof. Dean : — We are getting on very dangerous ground ; 

 but I have no hesitation in saying to our people at home — for 

 there is no use beating about the bush, — that so far as our own 

 experience goes, we have found Holsteins to be the best cows, 

 both in production of butter and of milk. 



A Member : — What roughage do you feed ? 



Prof. Dean : — From 30 to 40 pounds of corn silage mixed 

 with rough hay, clover when we can get it, and 30 pounds and 

 upwards of roots. 



A Member: — Do you weigh your roughage? 



Prof. Dean : — We weigh one or two times a month or as 

 often as the herdsmen thinks necessary in order to get at what 

 each cow is doing. 



Mr. Drew : — Do the cows that give the most milk and butter 

 get more food than the other cows ? 



Prof. Dean : — Yes. Each cow is charged $5 a season for 

 pasture. This is charged to every cow, good, bad and indififer- 

 ent, big and little, because there is no way of getting at how 

 much a cow eats at pasture. The silage, hay, roots and the meal 

 are weighed once or twice a month. The silage is charged at 

 $1,50 a ton; hay at $6; roots at 7 cents per bushel of 60 pounds. 

 Bran costs us now $16 a ton — it has been as low as $12 and as 

 high as $20. Oats cost on an average about $20 per ton. Oil 

 cake usually runs from $28 to $32 a ton, — it is now worth $32. 

 These are the figures used as a basis for these calculations. The 

 cow that gave the largest milk yield cost us $47.33 for her feed 

 last year. The lowest cost was $22.12. The feed is charged up 

 to the cow just the same when they are dry. 



Mr. Peck : — You know the income from each of the cows ? 



Prof. Dean: — The first cow gave us a profit of $117.18 over 

 the cost of food; the second, of $118.16 — it cost less for the feed 

 of the second, hence a little m.ore profit; — the next, $112.56. 

 Milk sold at four cents a quart used as a basis of calculating 

 profits. 



Mr. Peck : — What was the income from the cow costing 

 $22 to feed? 



