136 THE MODERN MILK PROBLEM 



averaging about one gallon each, while others say theirs 

 give three. Why this difference? There are several things 

 that might assist in this condition of affairs, yet I believe it 

 is principally accounted for by the difference in cows. A 

 profitable cow costs little more to keep than an unprofitable 

 one; yet farmer after farmer is keeping these scrub cows. It 

 is also a question of the dairyman not really knowing which 

 are his profitable cows and which the " boarders. " Too 

 many think they have no time for the Babcock test and the 

 scales. If dairymen are to produce milk on an economical 

 basis, they must start with better cows. Then they must 

 properly care for and feed these cows if best results are to 

 be obtained. Successful dairymen are using silos, growing 

 alfalfa, etc.; therefore other farmers should study these 

 matters. 



Again, as one travels over this country, he cannot help 

 being impressed with the many kinds of waste that are con- 

 tinually occurring on our farms. The farm machinery that 

 should last a number of years is allowed to deteriorate rapidly 

 because it is not properly housed and cared for. One of the 

 most valuable assets to the farm, namely, the liquid manure, 

 is allowed to waste by soaking into the ground near the barn. 

 Even the solid manure is thrown under the eaves, and the 

 soluble elements, which are the best form of plant food, are 

 allowed to be lost. So we might mention loss after loss that 

 is continually occurring on our farms, mainly because of poor 

 management. I can hardly see how the dairyman can ex- 

 pect the consumer to pay for such losses; yet that is really 

 what he wants when he allows these conditions to exist, and 

 cries for better prices. 9 



From this it is clear that, while justice must be done 

 to the farmer in a fair price for his product, he must,, 

 if he is to stay in business, use business methods. Not> 

 that he can be expected to become an agricultural or 



