CHAPTER IX. 



HOW TO SELECT A GOOD COW. 



The business of dairying has rapidly become 

 commercialized during the last few years owing 

 to the competition. While prices for dairy prod- 

 ucts have increased in value during the last few 

 years they have not increased in value in the 

 same proportion that labor and feed have in- 

 creased. For these reasons it requires a skill- 

 ful business man at this time to milk cows at a 

 fair profit. 



The average farm cow has a very poor chance 

 to return a profit to her owner, from the fact 

 that she is usually improperly fed. She is often 

 kept in a cold, dark, damp stable that is poorly 

 ventilated, and she is fed largely roughage with 

 very little grain and no concentrates. It is esti- 

 mated that there are twenty-two million cows in 

 the United States and that of this number only 

 about seven million are returning a profit to 

 their owners, but by good care and proper feed- 

 ing about half of those that are kept at a loss 

 could be made to yield a profit. 



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