THE DAIRY HERD. 27 



could dispose of them without loss, but now it 

 is quite different, as cow beef is very low 

 priced. 



Disposing of unprofitable cows. The best 

 way I have learned to dispose of cows that are 

 below standard is to feed heavy and milk at 

 the same time. After three or four months 

 most cows will improve in condition, and may 

 be fattened while being milked and sold for 

 beef soon after being dry. Fattening dry cows 

 is unprofitable work. I have never been able 

 to do it without loss. I advise to fatten while 

 milking always, and sell as soon as possible 

 after the cow is dry, as a dry cow cannot be fed 

 at a profit with the present low price of cow 

 beef. 



Cost of cow beef. The Maryland Experi- 

 ment Station reports a comparison of the cost 

 of fattening cows nine to ten years old and 

 those five to six years old, feeding corn-meal, 

 wheat middlings, linseed-meal and Hungarian 

 hay or corn stover. In eight weeks the two 

 older cows gained 105 Ibs., at a cost for food of 

 $20.65, or nearly twenty cents per pound of 

 gain, and the two younger cows gained 209 

 Ibs., at a cost of $21.95, or about ten and one- 

 half cents per pound. Some European work in 

 this line has shown it to be very unprofitable. 



Cost of feeding individual cows. When we 

 have got our cows tested pretty thoroughly for 



