6 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



factors, our results show that tests of dairy cows can be made by the 

 farmers themselves with sufficient accuracy to give a very satisfactory 

 knowledge of the performance of each cow. 



From these weights and samples taken at the farm, the total annual 

 production of a cow is found by multiplying the average of the daily 

 weights of milk and of butter fat taken each month by the number of 

 ■days in the month and adding the products together. The money value 

 of the milk of each cow is found by multiplying the monthly weight of 

 butter fat by a certain figure which, during the year ending August 1, 

 1898, was one-half cent less than the average Elgin market price of 

 butter for that month; in 1900 and 1901 it was the average Elgin price. 

 (These are the prices which the creamery paid all its patrons for milk.) 

 The figures obtained for each month are added together fo find the pro- 

 duction for a year. 



FEED AND CARE OF THE HERDS. 



The cows at each farm were fed and cared for during the entire year 

 according to the usual practice of their owners. As far as we could ascer- 

 tain, all the cows at one farm were fed in the same way. No attempt was 

 made to vary the feed of each cow excepting that where grain feeding 

 was practiced, it was usually stopped while a cow was giving little or no 

 milk. 



At farm "C," the owner kept a careful record of all grain bought and 

 fed to his cows during 1898. His estimate of this feed is given below: 

 (The grain feed consists of corn End oats ground together, corn meal 

 and bran, of about 15 tons of grain at $12.00 per ton.) 



ESTIMATED FEED COST AND RECEIPTS FROM TWELVE COWS. 



EXPENSES. 



Grain bought during the year $180.00 



10 acres cornstalks, $2.00 per acre «*.«,.. CO. 00 



