Live Stock* 



556 



[June, 1909. 



Income for First Working Year. 

 21,900 gallons of inilk at cents 



90;per gallon, being themilk 



of 30 cows at 2 gallons 



each per day ... 19,710 00 



Value of 25 calves at Rs. 20 



each ... 500 00 



Rs. 20,210 00 

 Less for bad debts and col- 

 lector's commission, etc. ... 1,500 00 



Rs. 18,710 00 



Income. 



Gross income ... 18,710 00 



Working expenses ... 7,694 00 



Nett income... Rs. 11,016 00 



This means 27i per cent, on the capital 

 of Rs. 40,000. 



In examining these figures it will be 

 found that I have provided liberally for 

 every contingency, but even supposing 

 the cows or the^clearing of the land, etc., 

 cost more than estimated, there is still 

 left Rs. 7,168 out of the capital to meet 

 any excess. The balance remaining 

 will be tor working expenses— there is 

 no necessity of any large reserve for 

 working expenses, as it is only for the 

 first month money from the capital 

 will be required for that purpose — the 

 monthly expenses will be Rs. 641 - 20, 

 while the monthly income will be 

 Rs. 1,620 for a month of thirty days. The 

 handsome interest of 27| per cent, on 

 the capital will no doubt be viewed with 

 some suspicion, as too good to believe and 

 impossible — examine and analyse the 

 figures how you like and as you like, and 



f-ou will come to the conclusion that it is 

 easible. It must be remembered that I 

 have only taken the milk of thirty cows 

 while forty cows form the herd. I have 

 done so although in the actual working 

 more than thirty cows will be milked 

 daily for the 365 days of the year ; still it 

 must be remembered that cows require 

 two months' rest before they calve for 

 the second milking, and also to allow 

 for any deaths and for any cows 

 that do not come up to the standard 

 of two gallons of milk per day ; also for 

 the milk required to feed the young 

 calves for the first three months of their 

 life. Some might say that it is impos- 

 sible to get two gallons of milk per day 

 from a cow, I say from personal ex- 

 perience and knowledge that it is pos- 

 sible, it can be got, and it must be got, 

 and that every cow that does not come 

 up to that standard must be got rid of, 

 and the sooner the better. 



There is another very valuable source of 

 income that must not be forgotten. You 

 will notice that I have valued twenty- 

 five calves at Rs. 20 each, that is not 

 to say that they must be ^old for that 

 sum, and that the very low average 

 of twenty-five that I have put down for 

 safe calculation is to be the actual re- 

 sults of the farm. In three years' time 

 there will be a splendid lot of young bulls 

 and cows for sale, after reserving for 

 the requirements of the farm. Sup- 

 pose at the end of the first 'three years 

 we sold twenty-five head at Rs. 200, that 

 would be Rs. 5,000, so that the yearly 

 profits after the first three years will 

 always be iucreased by the sale of sur- 

 plus cattle. 



There is another source of profit that 

 is worthy of attention, that of specialis 

 ing to supply milk from special cows 

 for the feeding of infants ; for this pur- 

 pose the milk can be supplied in special 

 sealed bottles for 20 cents per bottle. 

 For the successful woi'king of this or 

 any enterprise no source of profit ever 

 so small must be thought too much 

 trouble or not worthy of attention. 

 The questionfof risk is a very important 

 one for the capitalist who embarks his 

 money. The land, will not depreciate in 

 value but will rather increase with the 

 improvements, etc. The imported cows 

 (as they must be imported from Austra- 

 lia)' will stand the climate, especially if 

 they are secured from semi-tropical 

 regions ; we know that the Australian 

 horses and the dairy cattle now in the 

 Island are doiug well. There is an 

 unlimited market in Colombo for pure 

 milk, especially at the price of 15 cents 

 per bottle. The food can be easily grown 

 if the manager understands his work. 

 Cattle diseases— there should be no 

 risk from any infectious diseases if the 

 farm is scientifically managed, as danger 

 from this source is generally due to bad, 

 careless and unskilled management. 



How is the Farm to be Worked. 



The all important question— as an accu- 

 mulation of the best cows, the best land, 

 the best utensils and implements, etc., 

 will not produce the supply of lactic fluid 

 that will be necessary to make the farm 

 pay— is the management of the Farm : 

 it must be properly worked by a capable 

 man. It must be remembered that dairy 

 farming is a science that requires deep 

 study and plenty of experience — on the 

 choice of the man who is to manage the 

 farm entirely depends the success or 

 failure of the undertaking. The people of 

 Ceylon have not yet reached that point 

 of understanding that Agriculture and 

 planting industries require the services 

 of qualified experienced men to get the 



