70 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



The following is the average earnings per cow, according 

 to herds : — 



The average cost of keeping a cow in that town was 

 $36.26. The average earnings per cow was $31.74|. The 

 average loss per cow was $4.51|. A very good reason for 

 the loss that is reported is shown in the significant fact that 

 of the three hundred and fifty-six dairy farmers only one hun- 

 dred and seventy-two read agricultural papers, and only 

 twenty read any dairy paper whatever. 



Here is the situation. Three hundred and fifty-six farm- 

 ers, intelligent on all general topics, born of good, intelli- 

 gent fathers and mothers, and who maintained a course of 

 winter lectures, — calling in the best talent from New York 

 and Boston, it may be, — and who had been dairymen for 

 years, were so indifferent to dairy intelligence, breeding 

 intelligence, feeding intelligence, in short, cow intelligence, 

 as to make a showing like that. Then take the fact squarely 

 in that these farmers gave a clear illustration of the truth of 

 that saying of Holy Writ, as a man ' ' thinketh in his heart 

 so is he. " The effect on the prosperity of that town through 

 the loss per cow was a total annual loss of $24,880.62. No 

 one knows how long this fearful leakage has been going on, 

 sapping the energies and life of agriculture among that peo- 

 ple. The reason for this dark showing can be found nowhere 

 else except in a lack of dairy Intelligence. Had those farmers 

 known better, is it not reasonable to suppose they would have 

 done better ? A few of them did undersl and what was necessary 

 for a profitable success. From this it is evident that the fault 

 did not lie in the season, in the times nor in the location. 



Now, what is true in the dairy is just as true in the pro- 

 duction of beef, pork or mutton. Thousands upon thou- 



