156 THE BUSINESS OF DAIRYING 



and 4 pounds molasses grains. The total ration 

 cost 36.5 cents, or 1.5 cents more than the receipts 

 for the milk. He was, therefore, not only milking 

 and feeding his cows for nothing, but losing 50 

 cents a day besides. All the food except the silage 

 was purchased, when a large part of it might have 

 been raised. The amount of grain fed was too heavy 

 and one-fourth of it was probably wasted. On the 

 basis of the food used during the month indicated, 

 the cost of feed for each cow was $133.22 a year. 



The above is quite a contrast from the following 

 which is quoted from Hoard. 



"The total cost of keeping a cow in my herd the 

 past year is as follows: 



Pasturage $5.00 



6 pounds of grain a day for 210 days at $20 per ton 12.60 



10 pounds alfalfa hay a day at $10 per ton 10.50 



6,300 pounds ensilage at $1 per ton 3.15 



Hay and ensilage used in summer 3.00 



$34-25 

 "On this sort of feed with good care the herd aver- 

 aged in 1906, per cow, creamery basis, $76.27, with 

 the addition of $16.20 for skim milk ; making a total 

 of $92.47 at the pail. From this subtract cost of 

 food and we have $58.22 profit at the pail above cost 

 of food. Understand I have reduced everything to 

 the creamery basis. Understand another thing, that 

 the cows were good. It would be a reproach to me 

 as a farmer to keep any other. I cannot afford to 

 fool away my time and labor and food on poor cows. 

 I must have the best cows I can produce to make 

 this feed and labor answer back with the highest 

 profit from it. The herd averaged nearly 400 pounds 



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