678 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



[Vol. 43 



A study of the factors involved in producing milk in North Carolina, 



S. Combs and J. B. Bain (N. C. Dept. Agr. Bui., 4I (1920), No. 5, pp. SO, figs. 

 2). — This is a study of the cost of producing marliet milli for small cities In 

 Guilford and Forsyth Counties, conducted by the North Carolina Experiment 

 Station in cooperation with the Dairy Division of the U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture. The survey was begun in August, 1915, and lasted two years. 

 Field agents paid monthly visits to 13 farms the first year and 14 farms the 

 second. The records cover 557 cow years. The averge production per cow 

 was 4.908 lbs. of milk the first year and 4.922 lbs. the second. Tlie following 

 table summarizes the main results for the two years : 



Miscellaneous eJcpendiUires and amounts of feed and labor required for milk 

 production iti North Carolina. 



> Excluding changes in inventory values of cows. 



The cost of feed and pasture totaled 54.8 per cent of the gross cost, labor 

 28.6 per cent, and niLscellaneous charges (including bedding) 16.6 per cent. 

 Credits formed 12.2 per cent of the gross cost and appreciation in value of 

 cows 3.4 per cent. A managerial charge is not included in this computation. 

 In the winter 50.3 and in the summer 46.7 per cent of the labor used was 

 employed for milk production ; the rest was used for cooling, bottling, and 

 distributing the milk. About 18 per cent of the labor was done by women and 

 children winter and summer. 



The feed and labor requirements per 100 lbs. of milk on a year basis, noted 

 from a preliminary report (E. S. R., 43, p. 469), are not repeated in the final 

 publication. 



Requirements and cost of producing market milk in northwestern In- 

 diana, J. B. Bain and R. J. Posson ([/. S. Dept. Agr. Btil. S58 (1920), pp. 31, 

 figs. 8). — This study of the cost of producing milk in Porter County, Ind., for 

 the Chicago market extended over the same period as the North Carolina 

 study noted above and was conducted according to the same general plan, the 

 Dairy Division cooperating with the agricultural extension service of Purdue 

 University. 



In 1915-16 records were secured from 334 cows in 16 herds with an average 

 production of 6,877 lbs. of milk. In the following year there were records of 

 404 cows in 21 herds and the average production was 6,987 lbs. The butter- 

 fat test averaged about 3.7 per cent. There was about the same proportion of 

 dry cows (12 or 13 per cent) in summer and winter. The calf crop was 87 

 per cent a year divided equally between winter and summer. 



The table following gives the main results and shows the influence of season 

 of year. 



