324 Cost of Food in Production of Milk. [sept, 



given being 18 lb. per cow per day. Excluding turnips, the 

 average ration was 10*4 lb. hay ; 5*4 lb. oat straw ; 6*7 lb. 

 meals and cakes, and i-i lb. of bran or treacle daily. This 

 ration at the prices stated cost on an average g-yid. per day, 

 and on it each cow yielded an average of 27-5 lb. of milk daily. 

 The milk contained an average of 3-47 per cent, of fat, and the 

 cost for food was 3-5^. per gallon during the period under 

 review. 



A most interesting point in connection with this inquiry 

 is the great variation which exists in the same district in the 

 cost per day for keeping the cows. Where they were^kept at 

 greatest expense, viz., is. 2d. per cow per day, the outlay was 

 nearly double that where it was least, viz., y-8id. Where the 

 expense in feeding was greatest the yield of milk was generally 

 high, but often not exceptional, but in nearly[every case the 

 cost for food of each gallon of milk was higher than where 

 the outlay was less. A herd of good milking cows judiciously 

 fed will produce milk very much cheaper per gallon than 

 another herd of poorer milkers fed exactly in the same way. 

 This is clearly shown in every district, as although the total 

 food used per day varies considerably, the variation is not 

 nearly so great as the variation in the cost of production of 

 milk per gallon. For instance, in this district in 1907, on the 

 farm on which the feeding was heaviest, each gallon of milk 

 cost 4*97^. for food alone, while on another where the cost 

 was lowest, each gallon cost 2*59^. for food. Every now and 

 again trfere are keen discussions in the press over the effect 

 of food on the [quality of milk, as the average milk-producer 

 believes ^he cannot have quality without the excessive use of 

 concentrated foods. Here is an instance, however, where each 

 gallon of milk produced cost almost double that of the 

 other for food, and yet the milk costing most had an average 

 percentage of fat of 3-56 for the whole period, while the 

 other had 3-55 per cent, of fat for the same time. The herd 

 which produces the greatest quantity of milk does not 

 necessarily produce it cheapest, for in this association with 

 the herd with the greatest average yield of milk, viz., 33-3 lb. 

 per day, the cost for food was 2-68^. per gallon, while in another 

 yielding 30-16 lb. per day, each gallon produced cost for food 

 2*59^. per gallon. A study of these figures seems to indicate 



