1919J 



DAIKV lAKMING DAIRYING. 



575 



The dairy herds consisted mainly of cows giving from 3,<XX) to 4,000 lbs. of 

 milk per year. The average COSt <>f keeping one of these COWS for a year was 



found to hi- si.v.ti, of which 5&2 per cent was cost of feed, 30.1 per cent cost 

 of human tabor, l.i per cenl cost of horse labor, and LS.6 per cent miscellaneous 

 costs (mainly Interest on Investment, breeding fees, and building charge). The 

 average total feud cosl was $25.88, tin- percentage in different feeds being 



corn 28.1, hay ID, pasture 30.3, oilier concentrates ll.'.i, and other roughage 19.7. 

 It Is pointed out that the percentage of feed cost represented by pasture and 

 roughages other than hay is high compared to typical Missouri dairy farms, 

 where these items constitute only lit) to B5 per cent of the feed cost. In :',S 

 farm records the value of dairy products per cow was $47. 2L', of which 9 per 

 cent represents cream sales. - J3.'_' per cent butler sales, and 67.8 per cent the 

 value on a butter basis of the products consumed on the farm, 



It Is the practice on these farms to keep calves until they are at least year- 

 lings before selling them. The cost of a year's keep, based on records of 1-3 

 calves, averaged $14.10, of which $r_'.f><» was for iced. .Man labor per calf 

 averaged 11.1 hours and horse labor 1.58 hours. Sale prices or Inventory \ alues 

 of 294 such calves on 08 Missouri farms in 1914 and L015 averaged $28 per head. 

 Using this average, the profit from raising a calf was $13.90. Assuming that 

 SL' per cent of the cows produced calves, a figure based on a record of 515 cows 

 on 117 farms, adding the milk profit, and deducting labor costs on the assump- 

 tion that the labor involved no additional cash outlay, the profit attributable 

 to a cow is computed at $UN.32. This represents a profit for the average herd 

 of $110.45, an amount which covered 25.4 per cent of the average family living 

 expenses on 400 Missouri farms in 1914 and 1915. 



A special study was made of the Influence of the use of pasture on costs and 

 profits per cow on these farms. The results are summarized in the following 

 table: 



Influence of use of pasture on costs and profits. 



1 Excluding calf. 



"The data show, as might be expected, that the more extensive use of pas- 

 ture is attended by a decrease in production, but in spite of this decrease, the 

 practice of using pasture extensively with this class of stock is economical be- 

 cause the inherent ability of this stock for milk production is not such as to 

 make it respond readily to the stimulus of Intensive feeding." 



In conclusion, the authors point out that aside from the production of the 

 marketable calf, any profit from this type of dairying will be due to the utiliza- 

 tion of pasture land, the use of roughness that would otlierw ise be wasted, and 

 the utilization without extra cost of labor already available 00 the farm. 



The part of milk contests in improving the milk supply of Portland, Oreg., 

 E. C. Callaway and P. S. L/rjCAfi {Oregon Sto. />'(//. 156 (1918), i>p. 24, figs. 

 7). — This bulletin describes the difficulties in the way of proper sanitary cun- 



