No. 4.] PROFITS OF DAIRYING. 409 



ket. In buying, three factors are to be considered: the composition 

 and digestibiUty, the suitabiUty to feeding milch cows, and the price. 



The amounts fed depend upon conditions on the farm, and should 

 be settled upon economic principles. The laws of increasing and dim- 

 inishing returns are operative here, as in most lines of agricultural 

 production. To state this principle in another way, it is evident that 

 cows fed on starvation rations yield no product, and therefore the little 

 food they do consume is wasted, with a minimum profit. On the other 

 hand, by greatly over-feeding with expensive fodders wastefulness and 

 loss are incurred. Somewhere between these two extremes is a point 

 where the food consumed yields the greatest product per unit, or each 

 unit of product is obtained at the lowest cost, and therefore at the 

 greatest profit. It is the feeder's business to learn where this point is. 

 It would be nearer to the high limit in towns, where products were 

 high priced, than in remote country districts, far from markets. In 

 general, feeding cows to half capacity, like working mills and factories 

 on half time, is less profitable than when at full producing capacity. 



Condimental Feeds. — The general use of condimental feeds acts 

 adversely on the profits of the dairy. Considered as feeds, these prep- 

 arations are sold at prices out of all proportion to their value. Mix- 

 tures of bran, middlings, corn, linseed, salt, etc., selling at from 10 

 cents to 25 cents per pound, when their feeding value is in no case 

 more than 2 cents, is ridiculous. Considered as medicines, their use is 

 pernicious. The healthy animal needs no medicine; the sick animal 

 needs to be treated specifically, and not with a general shot-gun mix- 

 ture, — a panacea for all the ills to which flesh is heir. The claims 

 made by manufacturers of these condiments would be quickly dis- 

 credited as preposterous if made by candid peoj^le of your acquaint- 

 ance. It is not expected that these words will deter any from the use 

 of condimental feeds or patent medicines. Men dearly "love to be 

 humbugged," and will scarcely forego the pleasure it gives for mere 

 financial reasons, which are the chief ones against the use of condi- 

 mental feeds. 



Variations in Quality of ]\Iilk. 



It is well understood that milk varies in its percentage composition 

 as regards solids, particularly in the fat content. Many of the causes 

 of this variation are also well known. 



Breed. — Jersey and Guernsey cows yield richer milk than Hol- 

 steins and Ayrshires. 



Lactation Period. — ]\Iilk from cows soon after calving is poorer in 

 fat than in the middle of the lactation period. As cows approach the 

 time of freshening, milk grows richer and is generally richest in fat 

 just before they dry off, when the amount secreted is small. 



Individual. — Each cow has a normal fat content in her milk, which 

 she very persistently maintains, subject to the variation caused by 



