DAIRYING. 



pounds more butter than the other brings at 25 cents per pound, 

 38X25=$9.50 more income. This $9.50 is a little more than 6 per 

 cent, of $150.00, and since many people consider money at 6 per cent, 

 interest as a good investment, the cow producing 200 pounds of but- 

 ter may be assumed to be worth $150 more than the cow producing 

 162 pounds of butter. 



60. The difference in value of cows may in this way be based 

 on the amount of money on which the excess of production over the 

 cost of keeping will pay a fair rate of interest. There may or may 

 not be a difference in the amount of feed consumed by the two cows. 

 This will depend on the individuality of the two animals, but the 

 cost of stabling and caring for them is the same, and the owner's 

 profit comes from the margin obtained over the cost of keeping. 



61. The average production of milk per cow shows a great need 

 of improvement in our dairy cows ; and while it may be difficult to 

 buy better cows, they may be raised by the use of a pure bred dairy 

 sire. The figures given show that it will be a good investment to 

 pay what may seem to be excessive prices for both cows and bulls of 

 the dairy type. 



b. Exceptionally Large Milk Producers. 



62. The development of dairy cows by careful feeding and 

 handling, so that they will produce a maximum of milk on a mini- 

 mum of feed is a business in which many people are enthusiastically 

 engaged. Formerly a great deal of attention was paid to the pedi- 

 gree of a cow, and this is still of considerable importance, but it is 

 far from being the only record that is in demand at the present time. 

 The opinion is fast gaining ground that an official test of a dairy 

 cow's performance as a milk and butter producer is of th'e first im- 

 portance. 



63. These tests are best made at home, where the cows are 

 undisturbed by strange surroundings. There may be educational 

 advantage in having exceptionally good cows exhibited at fairs and 

 places where many people see them, but cows nearly always produce 

 more milk at home than at a fair where they are more or less 

 excited. This is well understood by dairymen ; and when an excep- 

 tionally large milker is to be tested, the owner usually sends to an 

 agricultural college for a man to come to the farm and watch the 1 



