PRODUCING MARKET MILK IN NORTHWESTERN INDIANA. 27 
they depend directly on the relative cost of the various items which 
are required to produce milk. The same is true of the percentages 
given as representing the part of the total cost which was offset by 
the credits allowed for calves and manure. The percentages are 
influenced not only by the variation in costs, but also by the values 
allowed for calves and manure and the amount of manure credited 
to the herds. 
PRESENTATION OF RESULTS BY MONTHS, SEASONS, AND YEARS. 
The variation in the monthly feed cost during any one of the 
seasons in either year was not large. In most cases the variations, 
as shown - in Tables 15 and 16, are no more than might naturally occur 
on account of local conditions, such as a fluctuation in the price of 
feed or weather conditions. The reason why the November feed 
cost of each year was lower than for the other winter months probably 
is that during that month some of the herds were allowed to run in 
the fields that had been in crops, in order that scattered feed might 
be kept from going to waste. Some of the dairymen were later than 
others in beginning to feed their regular full winter rations. 
The cost of feed other than pasture fluctuates from month to month 
in the summer, and the same is true of the cost of pasture, but when 
these two costs are combined the variation in the total monthly feed 
and pasture cost is no more than occurred in the winter months. 
In distributing the pasture cost over the summer seasons the amount 
of grass furnished by the pastures each month was estimated and 
the total season's charge for pasture distributed accordingly. The 
following per cents were used for both years: May, 15 per cent; 
June, 33 per cent; July, 20 per cent; August, 10 per cent; Septem- 
ber, 12 per cent; and October, 10 per cent. Since the records have 
been compiled it appears that these figures must have been fairly 
accurate, for wherever a heavy charge for pasture was made the 
amount of other feed consumed was comparatively small. 
