538 



IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



The crops in all the fields for the entire period of the rotation would 

 be as shown in the following diagram: 



FINANCIAI- EETUBNS TO BE EXPECTED. 



The gross returns that may be expected from a dairy farm on which 

 23 good cows are kept may now be estimated about as follows: 



280 pounds of butter from each of 23 cows, at 25 cents $1,610 



100,000 pounds of skim milk, at 20 cents per hundred-weight 200 



16 calves, at $5 each 80 



2 colts, at $50 each 100 



Total gross income $1,990 



From this gross income must be deducted $136 for cotton-seed meal 

 or oil meal, leaving $1,854 as a gross return for the 80-acre dairy farm. 



If milk were sold instead of butter and 4 cents a quart received, the 

 returns would be about as follows: 



61,000 quarts of milk, at 4 cents $2,440 



16 calves, at $5 each 80 



2 colts, at $50 each 100 



Total gross income $2,620 



Deducting from this gross income $136 for concentrated feed, as before, 

 leaves $2,484 to pay the expenses, interest, and labor of the farm. The 

 calves that are kept will about offset the decreased value of the herd from 

 year to year. 



LABOE ITEM ON A DAIEY EAEM. 



While these returns for the dairy farm appear larger than for any other 

 type of farming they are not so in reality, because it requires more labor 

 on this type of farm than on any of the types previously considered. It 

 will require the labor of the owner and one other man the year around, 

 and during the growing season at least, or about seven months of the 



