CHAPTER X 



Profit from the Dairy 



MAGNITUDE OF DAIRY INDUSTRY 



The dairy industry in the United States is of 

 much greater magnitude than is apparent to the 

 average observer. The most reliable figures avail- 

 able in 1910 place the total number of dairy cows 

 in the United States at 21,801,000, having a total 

 farm value of more than $780,000,000. The dairy 

 products have an annual value closely approximat- 

 ing $800,000,000. This is greater than the value of 

 any farm crop, except corn. When the dairy out- 

 put is combined with the valuation of dairy stock it 

 represents a total of more than $1,500,000,000. This 

 represents more investment than all the meat cattle 

 of the land, together with the hogs and sheep. It 

 is an industry that tends to intensify farming 

 methods. Where people are obliged to live on small 

 farms and closely together, it is found necessary, in 

 order to keep up the required land fertility and 

 utilize in the most economical way the farm forage 

 products. It is one of the factors which enters most 

 strongly into the great question of conserving soil 

 fertility. Where butter is made and sold from the 

 farm practically no soil fertility leaves, but on the 

 contrary, the farm is made richer. 



It requires a frugal, industrious people for this 

 work, as it means steady employment and careful, 

 painstaking methods. Where grain is raised ex- 

 clusively, the labor is confined to a few months in 

 each year, but in the dairy business employment is 



us 



