Keeping Accounts with Milk 105 



to justify the keeping of complete accounts with 

 each cow. 



Just how much pains should be taken to de- 

 termine not only the amount of milk produced, 

 but the amount of food consumed and the amount 

 of butter- fats produced by each cow depends on 

 circumstances. It would not be expensive nor 

 irksome during the winter to weigh, for one day 

 or one week each month, the ration of each cow. 

 If the milk is to be used for the manufacture of 

 cheese or butter, then the total production of 

 butter-fats of each cow should be ascertained, 

 for without such knowledge the judgment is likely 

 to be led astray if only quantity is considered. 

 Since the butter- fats in milk indicate so nearly 

 its true value, no account is usually taken of the 

 slightly varying proportions of milk sugar and 

 casein. When milk is produced for city con- 

 sumption little attention is paid to the percentage 

 of butter- fats provided it does not fall below 

 3 per cent, the minimum legal standard in 

 New York. It is to be hoped that the day may 

 not be far distant when both milk and cream 

 will be sold in the city, as well as to the butter 

 factory, for what it is, that is, at prices corre- 

 sponding to the percentage of butter- fats which it 

 contains, or, in other words, at prices correspond- 

 ing to its value. 



In large herds, the preceding form of record 



