1857. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



143 



avidity. In a chemical analysis of beans, it is found 

 that they abound with a greater quantity of the 

 elements of wool than any other grain or vegetable, 

 to make sheep produce heavy fleeces. They will 

 eat them with avidity, whole or ground, even in a 

 damaged state. To our store flocks during the 

 winter season we generally give a pint of beans per 

 day, and potatoes. Corn is good for fattening 

 sheep, but not so valuable as beans, peas, oats, and 

 most other grains, for the production of wool. — 

 ffool Grower and Slock Register. 



For the New Englard Farmer. 



OIT THE COST OF EAISIHG MILK. 



Mr. Editor : — In the number of the Farmer 

 for March 29, 1856, is an article on the cost of 

 raising milk, its price. Sec, in which "Middlesex" 

 says, "that, whoever has raised milk the past sea- 

 son, and sold it to the retailer, has last by the op- 

 eration from $10 to $40 per cow. I have sold milk 

 at my door for the last five years, and I have nev- 

 er averaged $50 per cow ; and the milk raised 

 within fifty miles of Boston, will not, I think, aver- 

 age $40 per cow." He estimates the cost of keep 

 ing his cows at $91,10 apiece, thereby realizing a 

 loss of more than $40 per cow. 



As an offset to this, [ will give you the statement 

 of one of our farmers, a gentleman whose reliabil- 

 ity is unquestionable. He says : 



"Below you wil! And the amount of the income 

 and expense of keeping two cows for the year 1855. 



INCOME. 



Milk sold at railroad for 31 cts. per can $2,94 



" " 28 " 37,93 



" at my door for 4 cents per quart 60, £9 



" " 5 " 72,23 



Icalf at $8,10, and 1 calf at $1?. 18,10 



Milk used in the family 2),00 



40 lbs. cheese, at 6 cts. per lb 2,40 



64 " 10 " 6,40 



OLJlbs. butter 23,87 



Total income $244,56 



Income per cow $122,28 



EXPENSE. 



Paid for meal $53,53 



Pasturing 2 cows ^6 weeks 28,00 



Small potatoes and apples, (estimated) 4,00 



Use of 2 cows one year 10,00 



Paid for milking 2 cows 45 weeks 25,23 



Keeping 2 cows on hay 26 weeks, (4 tons "interval 



hay," at $13 per ton) 52,00 



Total expense 170,73 



Profit 73,83 



Profit per cow 36,911." 



These cows were fed on 2d quality hay called 

 "interval hay," and worth from $10 to $15 per 

 ton, when English hay is worth $20. In the es- 

 timate, the price is put down at $13 per ton, though 

 the gentleman offers to sell it at $12 per ton. It 

 should be noticed that he paid m.ore than $25 for 

 milking the cows, an item which does not usually 

 enter into such accounts. Throw it out and the 

 profit would be $99,03, or $49,51 per cow. 



He says, that when he bought these cows, they 

 were not considered extra ones, and if they are so 

 now, they have been made so by good care and 

 keeping. 



No doubt there are but few who can render so 

 profitable an account of keeping cows for milk as 

 the above ; and, I believe, also, that most can do 

 better than "Middlesex." With a good set of cows, 

 the true "profit and loss" account will probably lie 

 betwp sn the two. 



Your correspondent has kept four cows for the 

 last three or four years, and submits his account of 

 income and expense of keeping the same for the 

 past year — 1856 — as an illustration of the cost of 

 raising milk kere in Worcester county, less than fifty 

 miles from Boston, where good English hay is worth 

 $20 per ton, aiid grain bears a corresponding high 

 price. 



INCOME. 



6000 quarts milk retiiled in the village at 5 cts $300 00 



2200 " " sold at the door or used in the family 



at 4 cts 88 00 



100 lbs. butter at 25 cts. per lb 25 00 



$413 00 

 CONTRA. 



Pasturing 4 cows 22 weeks, atoOf per week apiece $44 00 



Feeding on hay 30 weeks, (8 tons at $20 per ton) 160 00 



Roots and meal, (carrots at $12 60 per ton, turnips at 



$10) 8100 



Use of 4 cowSj at $5 apiece 20 00 



$J05 00 

 Balance when most of the milk Is sold at 5 cts per qt..$lC8 00 



Deduct 1 ct. per qt. on 6000 qts. for relailing to cus- 

 tomers feo 00 



Balance at 4 cts. per qt. (1 ct. per qt. deducted for 



carrying) $48 CO 



Profit per cow, at 4 cts. per qt $12 OO 



Your correspondent considers that the manure 

 will pay for the care of stock, milking, and use of 

 buildings. 



From his account it appears that it has cost 

 nearly four cents per quart to raise milk in this vi- 

 cinity for the last two or three years ; and that 

 the consumer need not be very envious of the pro- 

 ducer at his prospect of becoming suddenly rich. 



And from both of the above statements it seems 

 pretty clear that with a good set of cows the far- 

 mer may realize a small ]!rofit, varying from $10 

 or $12 to $28 or even $37 per cow, instead of a 

 loss of $10 to $40 per cow, as given in the state- 

 ment of "Middlesex." 



The profit or loss of raising milk will depend 

 much ujjon the circumstances in which the farmer 

 is placed as to locality, market, nature of his farm, 

 &c ; much also, upon the care bestoM'ed in regard 

 to the feeding, shelter and comfort of his stock. 

 But this article is already too long, and I will 

 close. Worcester. 



Remarks. — Not a line too long on such a subject 

 — one that interests not only every farmer, but 

 every citizen who loves a good cup of coffee or 

 bowl of bread and milk. But lest that "Farmer's 

 Son," who has been so anxious about the profits of 

 farming, should be discouraged by these small 

 gains, we will state to him that it is presumed that 

 the farmer who feeds cows raises his own hay, and 

 that at $20 a ton he finds a profit there as well as 

 on the milk. 



Apples. — I had occasion to overhaul some apples 

 the other day. They were picked in the same or- 

 chard and on the same day, and were put away the 

 same day ; some in flour barrels and some in lime 

 barrels. Those in the flour barrels were much de- 

 cayed, while those in the lime barrels were sound, 

 and but very few showed any signs of decay. The 

 apples were of the same variety. 



This observation may prove of service. — New 

 Jersey Farmer. 



