210 THE BUSINESS OF DAIRYING 



lustrate : One cow in a dairy herd produced 2,000 

 quarts of milk in one year which contained an aver- 

 age of 6.4 per cent, of fat, while another cow under 

 the same conditions of feed produced the same 

 period 3,200 quarts containing, on the average, 4 per 

 cent, of fat. At 3 cents per quart the value of the 

 product from the first cow was $60, while that from 

 the last named cow was worth $96, or a difference 

 between the two of $36. Any improvements or 

 economy in feeding could not make up for the differ- 

 ence in the returns from the product of these two 

 animals on the quart basis of sale. If, however, the 

 product of the 2,000 quart cow ha,d been sold on the 

 basis of its fat content, or converted into its equiva- 

 ent of 4 per cent, milk, it would have been worth 

 exactly the same as that of the 3,200 quart cow. 

 This is one instance where the method of sale is 

 more important than making efforts to reduce the 

 cost of production. 



To again illustrate the unfairness of the method, 

 farmers who sold milk containing a high per cent, 

 of fat to creameries when the quart basis was prac- 

 ticed, were practically making it possible for their 

 neighbors to make a profit who produced milk con- 

 taining a low per cent, of fat. The farmer produc- 

 ing rich milk, therefore, although he might have 

 studied closely the cost of production, was unable 

 to realize a profit. When the method was changed 

 and the milk was sold on the fat basis, the rich-milk 

 farmers made a good profit while the others were 

 obliged to obtain better animals or go out of busi- 

 ness, A few creameries are still buying milk on the 



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