24 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The first table may be called a reduction of 1,000 lbs. of milk 

 to its lowest terms, or at least carried as far as present pur- 

 poses require. As we are considering milk in its relations to 

 the fertility of the soil on and from which it is made, it is only 

 necessary to call attention to those elements which must be re- 

 turned to the soil to maintain its productiveness. These are 

 the nitrogen found in the casein and albumen of milk, and the 

 phosphoric acid and potash contained in the ash. Lime is 

 present in considerable quantity, and in some places this is a 

 factor that must not be ignored. The water and carbon, hy- 

 drogen and oxygen are of no consequence in this connection, 

 and the same is true of the chlorine, soda, sulphur, magnesia, 

 iron, and perhaps the lime. 



The table shows that in every one thousand pounds of aver- 

 age fresh milk, or whole milk, there are present, 6 lbs- of 

 nitrogen, 2^ lbs. of phosphoric acid, and 1^ lbs. of potash (and 

 2 lbs. of lime). At the prices wdiich are fixed as the value of 

 these materials by the State inspectors of fertilizers, this por- 

 tion of the milk is worth $1.54. That is, to return to the farm 

 in commercial f^'tilizers, or their equivalent, what is removed 

 by every 1,000 lbs. of milk sold would cost, at present market 

 rates, $1.54, besides the hauling and handling. So, a gallon 

 of milk is w^ortli a cent and a half on the compost heap. 



The very first charge which the milk producer should there- 

 fore make against every eight-quart can of milk sent from his 

 farm is three cents for manurial value removed. This sum 

 should be religiously set aside from the receipts, to be expended 

 in a suitable return to the land. It is probable, however, that 

 the plant food removed, and here valued at three cents, will 

 really cost four cents to put back in an equally available form. 



It may be better to look at this view of the subject in another 

 way. It is certain that no one can afibrd to make milk to sell 

 unless good, productive cows are kept. The cows of Massa- 

 chusetts do not average 2,000 quarts of milk a year, while no 

 cow is o-ood enou<>:h to sell milk from that does not ijive more 

 than this. It is easy in these days to find better ones. There 

 are dairies of Holstein cows in the country that average 5,000 

 quarts of milk per year and head, for the herd. I have the 

 records of several herds of Avrshires, most of them in this 



