II78 



RrUAL ECONOMICS 



which are not adapted for putting on the market, being over-ripe, and also 

 the question of the utiHsation of the crop generally at times of over-pro- 

 duction and fall of prices for fresh strawberries. 



909 - Cost of Milk Production in the County of Jefferson, State of New York, United 



States of America. — Hoithk II. a. mvI Roukktox I-". I'.., in CumeU Univasitv, 

 Agricultural Experiment Station of ihc Colleiic of Agriculture, Bulletin 357, pp. 133-162, 

 fig. 6o-6s. Ithaca, X. Y., March 10 13, 



In order to ascertain the cost of milk production, the county of Jeffer- 

 son, Xew-York, was selected. This is one of the New- York counties where 

 agriculture is most progressive : it produces cereals, forage, etc., and it is 

 inferior to two only of all the other counties in the number of dairy cows 

 bred there. The bttlk of the milk production is converted into cheese, 

 although the trade in milk itself has made rapid strides of late years. 



The organisation of a farm bureau in the count3% which took place in 

 April 1912, allowed of obtaining the data set out in the Bulletin in ques- 

 tion. The bureau founded three societies for testing milk production, in- 

 cluding 653 herds distributed through the different parts of the county. 

 Registration for one year of the production of 834 cows resulted in the 

 following: facts :. 



Table I. — Average Production, Cost of P>oducti 

 and Profit for 834 cows. 



on 



Item 



Production 

 per cow 



(lbs.) 



Milk yield. 

 Butter fat 



6621 

 241 



Cost 



ixr 100 lbs. 

 milk 



per I lb. 

 butter-fat 



Cost of feed 



Fixed costs 



Interest on investment in cow phis hauling costs per cow 



$51-57 S-78 



35-('5 ! -54 



11.25 -17 



Total gross cost of production 

 Credit bv calf and manure . . 



S 98.47 i $1-49 



Net cost of production. 

 Value of production . . 



18.23 



S 80.24 

 100.63 



Average profit. 



S 20.39 



.28 



S 1.2 1 

 1-52 



•31 



S.2I4 

 .148 

 .047 



S .409 

 .076 



S -333 



TKe cost of pasturage per month per cow varied in the different So- 

 cieties from .$ I to $ 1.5. The average spot value of mixed ha}' was % 12 

 per ton. Ensilaged maize (forage) was reckoned at the rate of S 4 per 

 ton. The average cost of concentrates purchased was $ 30 per ton. The 

 net average annual cost of feeding one cow was S 51-57 or 64 % of the net 

 average cost of maintenance. 



