AN ECONOMIC STUDY OF DAIRYING 



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hauling, and 24 per cent was for the remaining items. The total returns 

 per cow were $102.62, of which 81.2 per cent was for milk sold, 9.4 per cent 

 was for manure, and 9.4 per cent was for other items. The average loss 

 on cows was $2.81 per cow. (Table 35.) Of the 149 herds, there were 

 61, or 41 per cent, that showed a profit on cows. 



A common question that arises whenever results of cost studies are 

 Stated, is, if the actual loss is equal to the apparent loss, how do such 

 producers remain in business? The answer is that they do one or more 

 of the following things : first, accept lower wages than the rate at which 

 their time is charged; secondly, accept less than farm value for roughage 

 used; thirdly, accept a lower rate of interest on their investment than 

 the rate charged. 



If these farmers received interest on their investment, the farm value 

 of farm-grown roughage, and all other costs, they then received 11.3 

 cents an hour for human labor. 



TABLE 35. AVERAGE COSTS AND RETURNS, 2058 Cows* 



; Totals are given in table 24 (pages 305 to 308). 



