No. 4.] ECONOMICAL MILK PRODUCTION. Ill 



indicate that you can affect at least the size of the animal quite 

 a little; in other words, I have corroborated the belief of 

 practical dairymen that if a cow calves early it tends to make 

 her undersized. We can keep them somewhat smaller and 

 somewhat more refined in appearance if we have them come 

 to milk early. However, our general feeling is that a cow does 

 better if pretty well matured before she comes into milk the 

 first time. 



Question. What is the smallest amount of milk a cow must 

 give to be profitable? 



Professor Eckles. How much milk must a cow give in 

 order to pay for her keep? Well, that varies so widely it is a 

 pretty difficult matter to answ^er. Of course, it depends upon 

 the breed, too. I should say that 5,000 pounds, if you had to 

 set one figure, would be as good as any, but I would not want 

 to be satisfied with 5,000 pounds. I think if all the cows in 

 the country produced 5,000 pounds we would be better off. 

 I would want Jerseys to average 5,000, and I would want 

 Holsteins to average 8,000. It is a difficult matter to give any 

 one figure that would be satisfactory. I suppose there are 

 plenty of men in this audience who could give a figure that 

 would be more satisfactory, because they are more familiar 

 with the conditions and what it takes to keep a cow here than 

 I am. 



Mr. ToWNE. I would like to ask this gentleman if in his 

 southern State he can keep a cow longer at pasture than we 

 can in New England, — consequently keep her cheaper. Also 

 I would like to ask this question, although it may not be in his 

 line: Is it practical for farmers who have a good deal of milk 

 to use a milking machine? 



Professor Eckles. In regard to the first part of the question, 

 as to the length of pasture season in Missouri as compared 

 with here. The gentleman spoke of Missouri as a southern 

 State. We do not speak of Missouri as a southern State, but 

 a sort of a middle State. But we have not the conditions of 

 the far south there, nor quite the conditions of the north. 

 The pasturage season is unquestionably longer than here. We 

 turn our cattle to pasture ordinarily by the 1st of May, or 

 possibly the last week in April, and if we have an abundance 



