FOURTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X 753 



play an important part in cutting down profits. Thousands of 

 cows kept on Iowa farms are not returning a profit simply because 

 they are improperly fed and. managed, and still larger numbers of 

 so-called dairy cows are not paying for their feed and could not, 

 even though given the very best of care and feed. The term dairy 

 cow, as used in this state at the present time, is a misnomer, as 

 about one-third of these so-called dairy cows have practically 

 nothing in common with the typical dairy cow, either in conforma- 

 tion or productive ability. Nearly, one-half of the remaining cows 

 are so fed and managed that they produce about one-half of what 

 they are capable of producing if properly cared for. 



An experiment which is being carried on at the Iowa State college 

 dairy farm to determine the effect of feed and environment upon 

 amount of milk and butter fat produced by scrub cows brought 

 from an isolated region in Arkansas is demonstrating that the 

 amount produced, and consequently the profit returned, is mate- 

 rially influenced by the feed and management. Heifers out of 

 these scrub cows and by pure bred dairy bulls are in many cases 

 producing .much- more milk and butter fat, as two year olds, than 

 their dams have produced as mature animals. 



HOW ONE IOWA HERD IMPROVED. 

 The following records made by the herd of Peder Pedersen & 

 Son in the Benson Cow Testing association in three consecutive 

 years is especially interesting and valuable in this connection, as 

 it shows what can be accomplished on the farm by keeping records, 

 weeding out the poor cows and by proper feeding and manage- 

 ment. 



Average Average Net inc'me 



Milk Butter per cow 



per Fat per over cost 



Cow Cow of feed 



1911 5665 pounds 207.7 $ 22.12 



Largest net income cow in herd 54.22 



1912 7060 pounds 251.9 53.96 



Largest net income cow in herd 106.30 



1913 9697.47 pounds (for tlie year) 341.98 75.00 



Estimate for each of two largest net income 



cows : 144.00 



The increase in production and in the net returns for butter fat, 

 after deducting the cost of feed, in this herd in the course of three 

 years is remarkable and was brought about by use of a pure bred 

 sire, weeding out the inferior cows and giving the remaining ones 

 better care and feed. This herd was made up of grades and a few 

 pure bred Holsteins and the number of cows remained about the 

 same during the three years reported. 



THE DAIRYMAN A BUSINESS MAN. 



The successful dairyman is not only a farmer and breeder, but, 

 in the true sense of the word, he is a business man from the com- 

 mercial standpoint, and a producer from the manufacturer's 

 standpoint. He breeds, feeds and selects his cows, each upon its 

 individual merits, for the purpose of converting the raw materials 

 grown on the farm, in the form of grains and grasses, into a 

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