SELECTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL COW 125 



The data given include four years, 1897-1900, and the feeds 

 used were charged at the current market price, which was 

 very low at that time. The difference in cost of feed between 

 the best and poorest Holstein was $8.12, while the best cow 

 produced 250 pounds more fat. The difference in cost of feed 

 for the best and poorest Shorthorn was $3.55, and one ex- 

 ceeded the other 299 pounds in butter fat. In the case of the 

 Jerseys the difference in the cost of feed was $7.72, and in the 

 amount of fat produced 254 pounds. In the data given from 

 the Iowa Experiment Station it cost from $ 5 to $ 12 

 more to feed the cow that produced 300 to 400 pounds of fat 

 than it did to feed the ones producing 150 to 250 pounds. 



At the Storrs Experiment Station the most profitable cows 

 were fed $8.14 worth of feed in excess of that given the least 

 profitable. The data given from the Southern States indicate 

 that the thirty best cows consumed $ 27.47 more feed and 

 produced 291 pounds more butter fat each than did the 

 poorest thirty animals. The general conclusion can be 

 drawn, based upon the above, that it costs from $ 5 to $ 30 

 more per year to feed a cow, depending upon the price of 

 feeds, that will produce 300 to 400 pounds of fat, than it does 

 to feed a cow producing from 100 to 200 pounds of fat. 



These figures illustrate very closely the conditions as they 

 exist in the average herd of cows that are kept for milking 

 purposes. The farmer too often makes the mistake of think- 

 ing that a certain number of cows should give a certain 

 amount of product, and that the sum received from his herd 

 should be comparable with that received from another herd 

 of the same size. The point is overlooked that it is not 

 quantity, either of milk produced or the number of animals 

 kept, that determines the profit, but the income in excess of 



