66 BUTTER-MAKING. 
into consideration, such a cow might prove more profitable 
to keep than another that yields a larger quantity of milk. 
For this reason the yield of fat is a better standard by which 
to judge the value of a cow than the quantity of milk. Since 
the general introduction of the Babcock test for the deter- 
mination of fat in milk, the fat-content of milk can be easily 
determined, even on the farm. The importance of testing 
the milk of each cow in a herd is sufficient to warrant every 
cow owner to have a complete Babcock testing outfit on the 
farm. 
Unprofitable cows are, and have been, a serious draw- 
back to dairy progress. According to Dairy Commissioner 
Wright’s reports, the average yield of butter per cow, in the 
State of Iowa, is less than 140 pounds per year. Some of the 
cows from which these statistics were calculated evidently 
gave good returns to the owners, while others again would 
run their owners in debt. Cases are on record where single 
cows have produced more than eight hundred pounds of butter 
annually. Such a yield is the result of a great many years 
of attention to the selection and breeding, and can be obtained 
only in special cases. A yield of 400 pounds of fat per cow 
annually might be a good standard for which to strive. Even 
if the average annual butter yield per cow could be brought 
up to 300 pounds, the dairy industry would be put on a sounder 
and more profitable basis. The average price of butter is 
about twenty cents per pound. At this rate 300 pounds of 
butter would be worth $60.00. The average cost of keeping a 
cow in the State of Iowa is about $35.00, including care and 
feed. This would leave a net profit of $25.00 per cow. If 
a cow yielded only 140 pounds per year, which at 20 cents 
would be worth $28.00, the owner of that cow would suffer 
a loss of $7.00. It must not be forgotten that the above cal- 
culation is based only upon the butter-fat. The calf and the 
skimmed milk are not taken into consideration. The skimmed 
milk is worth 25 cents per hundred pounds for feeding pur- 
poses, and the calf is worth about $3.00. 
