484 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



difference between this cost (81 cts.) and the actual charges made for it in the grow- 

 ing of the crops. $1.50 per ton, viz, 69 cts. per ton, would amount to $173.88 on the 

 total amount produced — a gain too small to make the business pay. . . . 



"At 3 cts. per quart the farm would sell its home-grown produce to the dairy at 

 profitable prices, viz, $2.78 for soiling crops, $5.56 for silage, and $8.34 per ton for 

 dried corn fodder, a gain on the crops over cost of production of $1.38 per ton for 

 soiling crops, $2.79 for silage, and $3.31 for dried corn fodder, besides an additional 

 gain represented by the 252 tons of manure." 



Dairying' in relation to soil exhaustion is considered, and a table is 

 given showing the amounts of fertilizing materials contained in the 

 feeding stuffs purchased and in the milk produced by the herd of 23 

 cows. According to this the feeding stuffs purchased contained 851 

 lbs. more nitrogen, 640 lbs. more phosphoric acid, and 214 lbs. more 

 potash than in the milk sold from the farm. A record of the herd is 

 given for one year, ending April 1, 1807, and the record of individuals 

 is considered. The record of the best and poorest cows from the stand- 

 point of milk and butter production and the averages for the herd are 

 summarized in the following table: 



Records of best and poorest cows for milk and butter production. 



Milk production : 



Best cow 



Poorest cow 



Average cow 



Butter production : a 



Best cow 



Poorest cow 



Average cow 



Animal 



yield. 



Pounds. 

 8,303 

 4,413 

 6.314 



405 

 202 

 313 



Value of product. 



Milk at 



1 ct. 

 per lb. 



.$83. 03 

 44.13 

 63.14 



Milk at. 



3 cts. per 



quart. 



$114. 26 

 60. 74 

 86.89 



Butter at 

 20 cts. 

 per lb. 



$81.08 

 40.43 

 62.70 



Cost of 

 feed. 



$42. 34 

 42. 34 

 42.34 



42.34 

 42.34 

 42.34 



Gain orer cost of feed with- 



Milk at 



let. 

 per lb. 



$40. 69 



1.79 



20.80 



Milk at 



3 cts. per 



quart. 



$71. 92 

 18.40 

 44.55 



Butter at 

 20 cts. 

 per lb. 



$38. 74 



— 1.91 



20.36 



a Calculated. 



"The range iu percentage of butter fat was from 2.8 per cent to 6.4 per cent, with 

 an average of nearly 4.3 per cent. 



"The best milk cow was the second butter cow; the best butter cow was the fifth 

 in order in largest milk yield.' 



The claim that for profitable milk production a cow should produce 

 at least 5,000 lbs. of milk per year, and for profitable butter produc- 

 tion at least 200 lbs. of butter, ap pears to be supported by the year's 

 record. 



The milk of the herd is sold on the milk route. The method used in 

 handling the milk, care of utensils, and waste in handling and deliver- 

 ing are discussed, and a brief description is given of the new dairy 

 house. 



An article on seeding grass and crimson clover is noted elsewhere 

 (p. 431). 



Milk production with salt-marsh hays, J. B. Lindsey and B. K. 

 Jones {Massachusetts Hatch Sta. Bui. 50, pp. 19-48). — Experiments are 

 reported with 2 lots of 6 cows each in which different salt-marsh hays 



