PRODUCING MILK IN WESTERN WASHINGTON. 3 



watch in hand he noted and recorded the exact minute each labor 

 operation connected with the dairy was begun and ended. The labor 

 operations during the next morning were recorded in the same man- 

 ner, to complete the 24-hour period. 



The field agent also noted the feeds that were being fed on the day 

 of his visit, recording the kind, quantity, cost, and description of 

 each and comparing them with the quantity recorded by the cow 

 tester in the cow-testing-association books. 



The quantity of milk sold and receipts each month were obtained. 

 In addition the whole milk used by the proprietor and his help or 

 fed to calves was measured or weighed and used as a basis for deter- 

 mining the quantity kept on the farm during the month. 



Each dairyman kept an itemized account of expenses that were 

 incurred between the monthly visits, and these items were recorded 

 by the field agent. A monthly record was also kept of the purchase 

 or sale of cows, calves, hides, outside bull service, and other miscel- 

 laneous information relating to the herd. The condition and method 

 of handling the manure were noted and reported each month. 



When all the labor operations about the dairy had been completed 

 for the day at the first farm, the field agent drove to the second farm 

 in time to observe the labor operations connected with the evening 

 chores. This program was followed until Saturday afternoon, when 

 he returned to his headquarters and finished his reports for the week's 

 work. The same program was followed each week in the month, and 

 each farm was visited for a full day every 30 days throughout the 

 two years. 



COMPARISON OF WINTER AND SUMMER RESULTS. 



Since the winter and summer seasons have a marked influence on 

 the principal factors entering into the cost of producing milk, the 

 results have been computed separately for those periods. The months 

 from November to April, inclusive, represent the winter season and 

 from May to October the summer season. This division of time was 

 based directly on the change in methods of herd management made 

 in November and May. 



The various tables found in this bulletin are based upon figures ob- 

 tained during two years of study, and the weighted average of the 

 two-year records was used whenever it would more accurately express 

 the result. The weighted average was obtained by giving each item 

 a weight in the average according to its relative importance. 



DESCRIPTION OF HERDS. 



During the first year records were obtained on 17 herds, having an 

 average size of 31.3 cows, with an average annual production of 7,369 

 pounds of 3.74 per cent milk per cow. During the second year, 18 

 herds, 15 of which had been in the first year's work, had an average 



