A STUDY IN THE COST OF PRODUCING MILK. 
17 
per cow, while the Michigan farm shows a production above 6,000 
pounds. In 1909 several heifers were added to the Michigan herd, 
and their yield, while not low for heifers, pulled down the average. 
Heifers also account in part for the lower yields on the Wisconsin 
farm for 1910, 1911, and 1912. Frequent individual butter-fat tests 
were made on all except the North Carolina farm. Of these, the two 
Jersey herds, Wisconsin and Michigan, have an average production of 
256 and 281 pounds of butter fat, respectively, which gives an average 
test of 4.89 and 4.47 per cent, respectively. 
According to the Thirteenth United States Census (1910) the aver- 
age milk production per cow in the 10- leading dairy States is less 
than 4,200 pounds, and the State showing the highest production 
has an average of but 4,470 pounds. From this comparison it may 
be seen that the herds on each of these four farms are representative 
of good dairy herds. 
-Table X. — Quantity of milk and butter fat produced per cow per year on each of the four 
farms. 
Year. 
Wisconsin farm. 
Michigan farm. 
Pennsylvania farm. 
North 
Carolina 
farm. 
Milk. 
Butterfat. 
Milk. 
Butterfat. 
Milk. 
Butterfat. 
Milk. 
1909 
Pounds. 
5,550 
5,245 
4,990 
5,130 
Per ct. 
4.93 
4.90 
4.91 
4.82 
Pounds. 
274 
257 
245 
247 
Pounds. 
5,590 
6,721 
6,722 
6,102 
Per ct. 
4.44 
4.48 
4.45 
4.53 
Pounds. 
247 
301 
299 
276 
Pounds. 
Per ct. 
Pounds. 
Pounds. 
3,988 
4,542 
4,983 
5,056 
5,240 
6,381 
1910 
1911 
5,805 
5,483 
5,273 
4,832 
4.0 
4.2 
4.1 
4.1 
232 
230 
216 
198 
1912 
1913 
1914... 
:::::::.:: 
Average 1 
5, 240 
4.89 
256 
6,284 
4.48 
281 
5,348 
4.1 
207 
5,032 
Average 2 
5,240 
4.89 
256 
6,536 
4.48 
293 
5,053 
4.1 
207 
5,142 
i Average of all years for which reports are given. 
2 Average years for which complete and comparable costs are available. These are the average produc- 
tion figures used in determining cost per unit in Table XI. The years included in this average are: Wis- 
consin farm, 1909-1912; Michigan farm, 1910-1912; Pennsylvania" farm, 1912 and 1913; North Carolina 
farm, 1911-1913. 
NET COST PER UNIT OF PRODUCT. 
Table XI shows the net yearly cost that is chargeable to the pro- 
duction of milk and the cost per unit of 100 pounds of milk, per 
40-quart can, and per quart. The cost per pound of butter fat, not 
deducting credits for skim milk and buttermilk, is also shown. The 
cost per 100 pounds of milk varies from $1.52 to $2.16, and the cost 
of other units of measure vary in like proportions. The pounds of 
milk are changed to quarts by dividing by 2.15. The gross feed cost 
on the Wisconsin farm is 1.59 cents, as compared, with 2.43 cents 
per quart of milk on the North Carolina farm. 
The relative proportion of each item of cost in the production of 
100 pounds of milk, which is equally applicable to any other unit 
used in measuring the product of the dairy, is illustrated by fig. 4. 
68922°— Bull. 501—17 3 
