66 BUTTER-MAKING. 



into consideration, such a cow might prove more profitable 

 to keep than another that yields a larger quantity of milk. 

 For this reason the yield of fat is a better standard by which 

 to judge the value of a cow than the quantity of milk. Since 

 the general introduction of the Babcock test for the deter- 

 mination of fat in milk, the fat-content of milk can be easily 

 determined, even on the farm. The importance of testing 

 the milk of each cow in a herd is sufficient to warrant every 

 cow owner to have a complete Babcock testing outfit on the 

 farm. 



Unprofitable cows are, and have been, a serious draw- 

 back to dairy progress. According to Dairy Commissioner 

 Wright's reports, the average yield of butter per cow, in the 

 State of Iowa, is less than 140 pounds per year. Some of the 

 cows from which these statistics were calculated evidently 

 gave good returns to the owners, while others again would 

 run their owners in debt. Cases are on record where single 

 cows have produced more than eight hundred pounds of butter 

 annually. Such a yield is the result of a great many years 

 of attention to the selection and breeding, and can be obtained 

 only in special cases. A yield of 400 pounds of fat per cow 

 annually might be a good standard for which to. strive. Even 

 if the average annual butter yield per cow could be brought 

 up to 300 pounds, the dairy industry would be put on a sounder 

 and more profitable basis. The average price of butter is 

 about twenty cents per pound. At this rate 300 pounds of 

 butter would be worth $60.00. The average cost of keeping a 

 cow in the State of Iowa is about $35.00, including care and 

 feed. This would leave a net profit of $25.00 per cow. If 

 a cow yielded only 140 pounds per year, which at 20 cents 

 would be worth $28.00, the owner of that cow would suffer 

 a loss of $7.00. It must not be forgotten that the above cal- 

 culation is based only upon the butter-fat. The calf and the 

 skimmed milk are not taken into consideration. The skimmed 

 milk is worth 25 cents per hundred pounds for feeding pur- 

 poses, and the calf is worth about $3.00. 



