PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION 147 



Yet in the Ohio report we note one herd of 24 cows, mixed 

 breeds, yielding annually per cow an average of 7,756 lbs. of milk 

 and giving a yearly profit of $167 per cow. Again, in this same 

 report, we discover another herd which paid its owner an annual 

 average profit of 10 cents per cow. How may we explain such an 

 enormous inequality in returns ? Let us compare the report of the 

 two herds : 



Herd No. 12 Herd No. 100 



(2 Jerseys, 3 grades) (Mixed Breeds) 



Cost of keep per cow yearly $25.00 $70.00 



No. lbs. milk per cow yearly 3,048 7.756 



Profit annually per cow $0.10 $167.00 



Returns from $1.00 invested in feed $1.00 $3.40 



Average price of milk per 100 lbs.. $0.62 $3.05 



In herd No. 12, we find that the annual cost of keep was $25, 

 and the yield 3,048 lbs. of milk, which brought 82 cents per 100 

 lbs. at the creamery, or a little less than 7 cents a gallon the year 

 round. A gallon of milk weighs 8.6 lbs. Herd No. 100 paid 

 yearly $167 per cow, while the cost of keep was $70 per cow, and 

 the milk brought a little over 25 cents a gallon, or over 6 cents a 

 •quart the year round. 



Certain remedies there are for such a disparity in profits, but, 

 tinder some conditions, this disparity can only be remedied in part. 



In the cases in point, the most essential cause of the difference 

 in profits in the two herds is the difference in price, which depends 

 upon circumstances. The owner of herd No. 100 was near enough 

 to the city of Cleveland to retail his milk for over 6 cents a quart, 

 whereas the product of herd No. 12 was sold for less than 2 cents 

 to a creamery. 



In this comparison, there are, however, other points to con- 

 sider: the fact that the cows in herd No. 100 gave over twice the 

 quantity of milk yielded by the cows in herd No. 12 is an important 

 matter. This may have partly depended upon the care of the cows 

 and feeding, but was very probably chiefly due to the character of 



