EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 423 



Cost of the Sire. 



From considerable data kept at this station, and an examination of 

 much published data, it was concluded that the average cost of bull serv- 

 ice, and the average value of calves at birth, or at the time the milk be- 

 comes normal, differed but slightly. The averages of a considerable 

 number of those figures showed a difference of less than one dollar per 

 cow per year. In order to allow the farmer and the investigator needed 

 time for less familiar data these two items were allowed to balance. 



RECEIPTS. 



1. Milk. 



All milk produced by the herd throughout the entire year was credited 

 to the receipts. The milk used in the household and that fed to calves, 

 or used for other purposes, was accurately weighed and credited at the 

 price which it would have netted the producer at his milk house. 



2. Manure. 



It is obvious from what has already been said that the field investiga- 

 tor's time was too thoroughly occupied to permit of weighings being 

 taken of the amount of manure produced. 



A large amount of very reliable data has already been published on 

 this point by a number of State Experiment Stations. If we take the 

 average of a number of these and express the results in even tons, we 

 shall find that a cow weighing 1,200 lbs. voids approximately twelve tons 

 of manure in a year. Taking these weights as the standard, the manure 

 product of each herd was ascertained on the basis of the average weight 

 of the cows in the herd. 



To place an equitable value on the manure at the barn is not an easy 

 task. After one has examined the best literature on the subject he is 

 even more thoroughly convinced that investigators do not agree as to the 

 best method of approach to the subject. Further, since the food of the 

 animals, the methods of management of the litter, the differences in soils, 

 and the uncertainties of the Aveather, are factors affecting the value of 

 the manure, it is probably inconsistent to expect such an agreement. 

 Taking into consideration the fact that on most of the farms a very ap- 

 preciable portion of the manure, was voided on grounds less capable of 

 giving commensurate returns, and in yards and lanes where its collec- 

 tion entailed high labor costs, the investigators concluded that a value of 

 |1.50 per ton for the entire yearly product was equitable. All farmers 

 were therefore charged at this rate. 



3. Calves. 



From what has been previously stated the reader will know that the 

 enterprise of raising young stock on the farm is in no way included as a 

 part of market milk production. All milk which was used for calf feed- 

 ing was credited to the milk account at the gallon price which it would 

 have brought at the farmer's milk house. As has already been stated un- 

 der "Cost of Sire," the value of calves at birth was allowed to offset the 

 bull service charge. 



