ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 115 



in the production of beef, pork or grain. If the prices do lower 

 it is usually on account of an abundance of feed. When [ 

 speak of the unlimited market for milk, I have been been a 

 patron of the condenser for 25 years and I can not remember 

 of but one or two seasons during that time when they held the 

 patrons down to contract. Any other time they would take all 

 you wanted to bring, regardless of contract, paying the same 

 price. 



But how often we hear the cry that dairying does not pay, 

 and why, because it is not run on business principles. That is 

 why. 



Too large capital and expenses for the business done, not 

 milk enough produced to balance it down and leave a profit. 

 What other business is there where you can invest $20,000 to 

 $40,000 and never keep track of anything — income, outgoes 

 and expenses — and hold together as long as farming. Not 

 any that I know of. 



There are a few details that need looking after that are 

 essential to successful farming. One is — to know if each cow 

 in the herd is giving milk enough — equivalant to her feed and 

 care, and leave a profit ; or does she cut down the profit of some 

 cow that does do this? It is an easy matter with the Babcock 

 test and scales to ascertain the performance of each cow at the 

 pail. 



This weighing the milk will get a person interested in his 

 dairy work. I have found in my dairy two cows that give milk 

 enough so the gross receipts were equal to 1^ per cent per day 

 of the cost of the cows, or that paid for themselves in milk in 67 

 days. They were two of the highest priced cows in the herd. 

 I also found that several of the cows would pay better than 1 

 per cent per day of their cost, consequently would pay for 

 themselves in 100 days or less. While the average of the entire 

 dairy in milk, gave milk enough to pay 25 per cent of their cost 

 in the month. Or at that rate would pay for themselves in 

 four months. Another detail of the business is to know how 

 much is invested in high priced land, how much in high priced 



