24 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



That the general problem involved is far-reaching, and is 

 not confined to the iS'ew England farms producing milk for 

 the city markets alone, has been shown in several instances. 

 As regards the question of price received for dairy products, 

 perhaps in no instance has it been more clearly shown than 

 in the investigation of expenditures and receipts of those 

 New England farms producing milk and cream for the manu- 

 facture of butter for the New England creameries. This 

 investigation, carried on by a well-known and reliable dairy 

 paper, found, among the 100 herds investigated in Vermont, 

 only 32 that were kept at a profit to their owners, while 68 

 were kept at an actual financial loss. Of the 100 herds in- 

 vestigated in New Hampshire, the cows in 60 herds were 

 kept at a loss, and but 40 herds returned a financial profit ; 

 and wherever similar investigations have been carried on it 

 has been pretty clearly demonstrated that a large proportion 

 of farmers, whether marketing their products in co-operative 

 creameries or selling milk for city consumption, carry on 

 the dairying branch or department of their business at an 

 apparent financial loss. Probably no other business ofi'ers 

 more difficulties when it comes to keeping exact accounts of 

 expenditures and receipts ; but wherever this has been 

 honestly attempted and carried out for a number of years, 

 dairymen have invariably gained the knowledge necessary 

 to enable them to conduct their business in a profitable rather 

 than in an unprofitable way. It is a significant fact, both in 

 New England and elsewhere, and regardless of the form in 

 which they market their dairy products, that the real dairy- 

 men wdio are keeping records of their individual cows, who 

 are breeding for improved stock, and who keep posted re- 

 garding the development of the dairy industry, are almost 

 without exception successful from a financial standpoint. 

 On the other hand, those men who have the smallest regard 

 for the advancement made in agricultural science and edu- 

 cation, who most frequently laugh at the suggestion of breed- 

 ing for better cows, keeping records of production, feeding- 

 balanced rations, or in other ways attempting to reduce the 

 cost of production, are usually the ones who make the most 



