278 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol. S8 



During the second test silage wus fed to one lot three times a day. The -other 

 lot received silage twice and hay once a day. The lot receiving silage alone 

 consumed an average of 52 lbs. of silage per head per day, while the lot re- 

 ceiving on an average G lbs. of mixed hay consumed 36 lbs. of silage. During 

 the second year the yield of cows fed hay and silage decreased 1.94 lbs. per 

 cow during the feeding period of 11 weeks. The decrease for cows fed silage 

 only was 3.3 lbs. per cow. 



Care and management of the dairy herd, R. S. Hulce and W. B. Ne\tens 

 (Illinois Sta. Circ. 204 (i917), pp. 3-29, fiys. 13).— General directions are given 

 for the care and management of dairy cows, including notes on the age to breed 

 heifers, care of the herd bull, common diseases of dairy cattle, and the keeping 

 of herd records. 



Cow testing associations (Nebraska Sta. Rpt. 1916, pp. XI, XII). — Brief 

 mention is made of the w^ork of the four cow testing associations in the State, 

 each of which includes about 25 herds. 



In the Gage County association 40 cows were found unprofitable and sold dur- 

 ing the first year. Tabulated data show that the 10 best cows in this associa- 

 tion made a total profit of $1,032.88, and the 10 least profitable cows a profit 

 of $57.82 during the year. The 15 best cows in the association had an average 

 annual production of 8,555.5 lbs. of milk and 365.4 lbs. of milk fat as compared 

 with 3,105.6 lbs. of milk and 129.1 lbs. of fat for the 15 poorest cow.s. 



The average butter production of 800 cows in another association was in- 

 creased 50 lbs. per cow in three years. 



Progress report on the production and distribution of milk, E. Mead (Cali- 

 fornia Sta. Circ. 115 (1911), pp. 16). — A preliminary report of studies of the 

 economics of production and distribution of milk for the supply of the San 

 Francisco Bay cities. Information given in 36 out of about 100 replies to 

 questionnaires sent to producers in different parts of the State is summarized. 



The average yearly production per cow for these 36 dairies is 759 gal. of 

 milk and 223 lbs. of milk fat, as against an average of 500 gal. of milk and 150 

 lbs. of milk fat for the State. It is noted that the average cost of producing 

 milk increased from 16.4 cts. per gallon in 1916 to 22.7 cts. in July, 1917, while 

 tlie price received by producers during the same period advanced from 16.4 

 to 19 cts. per gallon. Among the causes of increased cost of production it was 

 found that the wholesale price of feeds ordinarily used by dairymen increased 

 38.2 per cent during the above period. 



Information is also given regarding cost of distribution, as obtained from 

 10 distributors in Oakland and Berkeley. The cost of distributing milk by 

 these dealers was 16.53 cts. per gallon, of which 3.78 cts. was due to bad debts, 

 making a total for production and distribution of 39.23 cts. per gallon. " This 

 would seem to .show that 40 cts. a gallon was a sulficient price under the con- 

 ditions existing in June last, and that what was needed was not an increased 

 price to the consumer, but a readjustment of charges between the producer 

 and the distributor." 



These data are compared with data on cost of production and distribution 

 of milk in southern and central California. The author discusses the present 

 uneconomical methods of distributing milk and suggests the scope of an 

 Inquiry into the means of correcting such methods. 



" What is needed in the San Francisco Bay cities is the creation of some 

 expert authority to study whether the present location of our daiiying districts 

 makes possible provision of a milk supply as cheaply as it could be furnished 

 from some other district or districts where land is cheaper even if farther 

 removed. . . . The economics of distribution should be studied, not to 

 determine in what direction present distributors have failed, but what could 



