FIFTIETH ANNUAL CONVENTION 41 



men are entitled to a fair price for their dairy products they 

 can not arbitrarily fix the price for the same and continue 

 in business. The willingness and the ability of the consum- 

 ing public to buy their products must always be taken into 

 consideration. The fact of the matter is that they can not 

 very often control the selling price of their product. In- 

 creasing the profits by decreasing the cost of production by 

 weeding, feeding and breeding is under his control. 



Cost of Producing 100 Pounds of Milk. 



The Department of Dairy Husbandry of the Univer- 

 sity of Illinois has found from data secured from cost 

 accounting records of dairies in the Chicago milk district 

 representing approximately 1,000 cows that an average 

 of 44 pounds of grain, 188 pounds of silage, 50 pounds of 

 hay and 2.42 hours man labor were required in the aver- 

 age herd cost of producing 100 pounds of milk. 



On this basis the cost of producing 100 pounds of milk 

 at present day prices of hay, grain and labor is about $2.00. 

 If this was the average cost of producing 100 pounds of 

 milk charged by these cows, it is evident that about one-half 

 of them must have charged more than this while a large 

 number charged less. By weeding out the low producers in 

 our herds and by feeding the good cows a more liberal bal- 

 anced ration the average cost of producing 100 pounds of 

 milk can be materially reduced and the profit thereby 

 increased. 



Two Essentials to Economic Milk Production. 



There are two essentials to the economic milk produc- 

 tion. The first is good cows — cows that will take the feed 

 grown on our farms and convert' it into milk and butterfat 

 economically and at a profit. Unless a cow has this ability 

 she has no place in a dairy. There is but one place an un- 

 profitable cow has a legitimate right to go to and that is 

 the butcher. The second essential is good care and feeding 

 a liberal balanced ration. No cow, however well bred, can 

 produce milk economically unless she receives good care 



