POINT OF VIEW ON LIVE-STOCK PROBLEMS 231 



essary to have a breed that will set well. It may pay to 

 keep pure-breds, but the difference will be small, because 

 the entire enterprise is so small. It may not be worth the 

 bother to keep them pure. But if any considerable num- 

 ber of hens are kept, they should be pure-bred. 



A year's test of 50 White Leghorn pullets, as compared 

 with 50 mixed common pullets, was conducted at the West 

 Virginia Experiment Station. 1 The Leghorns laid an 

 average of 117 eggs. The mongrels ate more feed, but laid 

 an average of only 96 eggs. The mongrels gained in 

 weight an average of one pound per head more than the 

 Leghorns. After considering feed, meat, and eggs, the 

 Leghorns gave 40 cents more returns per hen than the mon- 

 grels. 



DEPRECIATION ON LIVE-STOCK 



162. Depreciation on cattle. Not only is the cost 

 of feed and care more with high-priced stock, but interest 

 and depreciation are much more. In New York, 2 it was 

 found that the deaths among 4343 cows averaged 1.2 per 

 cent. The same average was found in Minnesota, but 

 the deaths were less than this for common cattle, and 

 more than this figure for pure-bred and highly graded 

 cattle. 3 



In New York, the depreciation due to death and loss on 

 cows sold was found to be 4 per cent on $40 cows. The 

 average life of cows was 9 years, or about 7 years in milk. 

 If we assume the same death rate, and $34 as beef value, 

 we can find the approximate depreciation on cows of 

 different values. 



1 West Virginia, Bulletin 102, pp. 272 to 274. 



2 New York, Cornell Bulletin 295, pp. 477 and 478. 

 8 Minnesota, Bulletin 124, p. 102. 



