FACTORS INFLUENCING MILK PRODUCTION 301 



a yield of 18,405 pounds of milk, which contained 2,218 

 pounds of dry matter, all of which was digestible. Deduct- 

 ing 56 per cent of the weight of the steer's carcass, which 

 was water, there was left 548 pounds of dry matter, which 

 included a considerable part that was not edible, such as 

 hair, hide, bones, and tendons. "The cow," writes Dr. 

 Eckles, "produced proteids sufficient for more than three 

 steers; nearly fat enough for two, ash enough to build the 

 skeleton for three, and in addition produced 920 pounds of 

 milk sugar, worth as much per pound for food as ordinary 

 sugar." 



A comparison of dairy with beef-type cows in milk pro- 

 duction under fair conditions will show the dairy-type ani- 

 mal to be much the more economical producer of the two. 

 Prof. Haecker of the Minnesota station has brought this 

 point out in a striking experiment. He selected four types 

 of cows; (a) beef, (b) not so beefy, (c) spare, but lacking 

 depth of rib, and (d) dairy type. As might have been ex- 

 pected, he found that the amount of dry matter consumed 

 in the feed and the cost of the feed for each pound of fat 

 produced steadily decreased from the beef to the dairy type. 

 Here we have a striking argument in behalf of dairy-type 

 cattle where milk production is sought. 



The productive cow compared with the unproductive. 

 Every herd of cows shows more or less variation in produc- 

 tion of different animals. This difference is due to various 

 causes. Each owner of a milking herd should, therefore, 

 keep a careful record of the production of each cow from 

 day to day, and determine for himself which ones are return- 

 ing a profit, and which are not. During recent years many 

 cow-testing associations have been organized, and herd 

 owners have given careful study to this subject. Of two 

 cows of the same type, one may be a very profitable pro- 

 ducer, and the other what is termed a "boarder," not return- 

 ing enough milk to pay for her food. This cow may be 



