1918] 



EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



777 



DAIRY FARMING— DAIRYING. 



The agricultural situation for 1918. — II, Dairying. — Dairy production 

 should be maintained (U. S. Dent. Ayr., Office Sec. Circ. 85 (1918), pp. 24, 

 figs. 11). — This article, one of the series prepared by the Department in the 

 effort to increase the food production of the Nation in the present crisis, relates 

 to the importance of proper maintenance of dairy production. The subject is 

 treated under the headings importance of dairying, exports increase and imports 

 decrease, food value of milk not fully appreciated, the dairy cow an economical 

 producer of animal food, some advantages of dairying, how to increase produc- 

 tion, economical feeding makes for profits, better utilization of dairy products, 

 the war's effect on the world's supply of dairy cattle, duties of dairymen, and 

 increased production through reduction of disease. 



The relation of size of dairy to economy of milk production, J. A. Hopkins, 

 JR. (Delaicare Sta. Bui. 118 (1918), pp. 3-50, figs. 2).— The study here reported 

 was made to determine the correlation between the size of dairies operating 

 under given conditions and their profitableness as indicated by profit per cow 

 per year, cost per quart of milk, and profit per quart. The investigation was 

 conducted during 1916 and involved 87 dairies in northern Delaware and south- 

 eastern Pennsylvania. As a method of comparison these dairies were divided 

 according to size into nine classes which varied from dairies of less than 10 cows 

 in class 1 to those of from 75 to 100 cows in class 9. Data for each of the classes 

 are tabulated and discussed in detail. 



The following table gives some of the results obtained : 



Effect of size of dairies on cost of milk production. 



The superior productiveness of larger dairies was found to be caused, in part 

 at least, by the better type of cows which they kept. The cost per cow for 

 hauling milk decreased as the size of the dairy increased up to 40 cows ; then 

 increased slightly as the addition of another horse became necessary; then 

 decreased again as the .size of the dairy increased. Cost of bull service per cow 

 decreased as size of dairy increased up to 40 cows, then increased slightly as a 

 second bull was added, and increased again as a third bull was added in 

 dairies of over SO cows. Cost of supervision increased slightly with the size 

 of dairy. However, this added expense was more than offset by greater intelli- 

 gence of management. The larger dairies produced a higher gi-ade of product 

 than the smaller ones and disposed of it at a higher and better price. 



The management of dairy herds, E. V. Ellington (Idaho Sta. Bui. 102 

 (1917), pp. 3-40, pi. 1). — This bulletin is a general discussion of the oppor- 



