> DAIRY FARMING DAIRYING. 773 



The highest production was found in the herds for whicli the milk fat test 

 of the milli was low. In 1913 the production per cow in the herds for which 

 the test of the milli ran 4.4 per cent of milk fat or below was 4,998 lbs., while 

 in the herds for which the millv tested from 4.5 to 4.6 per cent it was 4,738 lbs., 

 for those with milk testing from 4.7 to 4.8 per cent, 4,431 lbs., and for those 

 with milk testing over 4.9 per cent, 4,584 lbs. The cost of producing milk was 

 less and the profit per cow was greater in the herds for which the test of the 

 milk was low. Milk testing 4.4 per cent of milk fat, or less, cost 1.9 cts. per 

 pound to produce, and milk testing 4.9 per cent of milk fat, or more, 2.19 cts. 



The cost of producing 1 lb. of milk was 0.2S ct. less in the herds for which milk 

 records were kept. The keeping of records apparently decreased the loss by 

 $11 per cow in 1912, and in 1913 changed a .$14 loss to a $3 gain. 



In every instance the value per cow increased wheft the production inci'eased, 

 but an increase of 1,000 lbs. of milk made only a small increase in the value per 

 cow. This means that more milk can be produced from $1,000 invested in good 

 cows than can be produced from a similar amount invested in poorer cows. 



The cost of producing 100 lbs. of milk was greater in the low-producing herds. 

 In order to produce milk at a profit in 1912 it requii-ed an average production 

 of 7,219 lbs. per cow. 



Data on the cost of producing milk in other States are included. 



Dairy husbandry {Washington Sta. Bui. 121 {1915), pp. 9-11). — Cows fed 

 beet pulp, moistened with 5 parts by weight of water, consumed the feed with 

 considerable relish and rapidly increased in milk yield c\uring a two-week 

 period. Although it was diflicult to accustom the cows to eating the feed at 

 first, later they would eat from 6 to 8 lbs. more of the soaked pulp than they 

 would of the corn silage. The general condition of the cows fed the beet pulp 

 was comparable with that of those fed corn silage, and there was no appre- 

 ciable difference in their weights. Since their feeding value is about the same, 

 it appears that the extended use of beet pulp as a substitute for silage depends 

 largely on the relative cost of producing and preserving silage and the cost of 

 dried beet pulp. 



Three lots of 6 calves each were fed 90 days, the grain ration consisting of 

 ground oats, wheat, and barley, with bran, together with clover or alfalfa hay, 

 lot 1 receiving in addition skim milk, lot 2 Blatchford's calf meal, and lot 3 

 a homemade calf meal. Skim milk gave the best results as a substitute for 

 whole milk, yet the other feeds, with a limited use of skim milk, gave fair 

 results. Tlie skim-milk lot made the largest gains per day with the lowest cost 

 per pound. Grain mixtures fed dry rather than mixed with milk gave the best 

 results. 



A number of cows were divided without regard to breed into groups of large 

 and small cows, eows weighing 1,100 lbs. or more being taken as large. During 

 a five-month period it was found that with the cost of feed alone considered the 

 small cows produced milk fat for 1 ct. per pound less than the large cows, 

 but did not produce milk as cheaply. When the total expenses were consid- 

 ered, the large cows produced milk fat at 3 cts. less per pound, and milk at 57 

 cts, less per 100 lbs. than the small cows. 



[Feeding experiments with dairy cattle], R. Caeb {Michigan Sta. Rpt. 1915, 

 pp. 23Jt, 235). — Two lots of four cows each were fed five months in periods of 

 two weeks by the reversal method, one week intervening between periods, one 

 group receiving 30 lbs. per day of silage as a succulent feed, the other group 

 30 lbs. of roots. The cows were allowed all the alfalfa hay they would eat 

 and a grain ration which was not changed throughout the test, each animal 

 being given approximately 1 lb. of grain to 4 lbs. of milk. Other conditions 

 were maintained as identical as possible. 



