OREGON FARMER 



29 



production per cow was $145.00 for the year 1912, and about $140.00 

 for the year 1911, although nearly one half of the cows in 1911 were 

 heifers with first calves. True this dairyman gets about 40 cents 

 per pound for butter fat throughout the year, but two or three 

 different firms were willing to pay the price for 1913, that he received 

 in 1911 and 1912. 



A less extensive report comes from Benton County, showing an 

 income of $150.84 for the month of March (1913), for butter fat 

 alone sold to a creamery, from a herd of fifteen cows. Milk and 

 cream for a family of four adults was also used on the farm. The 

 cows in this herd for the most part freshened during September, 

 so all were past their best milk flow. These cows are rather high 

 grade Jerseys, but are no better than many other grade herds 

 scattered over the state. 



Cost of Milk Production: It was found to be next to impossible 

 to secure definite data relative to the cost of producing milk and 

 milk products. The cost of feed during the winter months as 

 estimated by a very few dairymen ranged around $5.00 or $6.00 

 per month for cows fed a full winter ration. During the summer 

 months in cases where pasture was available, the cost of keeping 

 a cow was estimated at $1.00 to $1.50 per month. Where the soiling 

 system was practiced the cost per cow per month was estimated at 

 about $2.50. If we assume that the cost of feeding the cow was 

 $5.00 per month for six months and $2.50 per month for the remaining 

 six months of the year, we have a total feed cost of $45.00 per cow 

 per year. In some instances the cost would no doubt be higher than 

 this figure and in others very much lower. But for good cows well 

 fed for winter milk production, the feed costs would range pretty 

 close around $45.00 per head per year. Of course if the heaviest 

 milk production occurs with the cows on good pasture, the feed cost 

 will be greatly reduced. 



LABOR AND WAGES. 



Two systems are followed in the employment of labor on the 

 dairy farm. The most common arrangement is to have each milker 

 care for six to ten cows, thus putting in two or three hours per day 

 in dairy work, and the greater part of his time in the field. As most 

 of the dairy herds consist of less than ten cows, this plan must of 

 necessity be the most common one. On the larger dairy farms 

 many proprietors consider it best to have the men who do the milking 

 spend their entire time at dairy work, and on such farms twenty 



