10 BULLETIN 602, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
The average value of the cows as estimated by the families was 
$46. The average cost of feed per cow was $80.49 a year. The aver- 
age returns were $119.90. These comparatively high returns are at- 
tributable to the high value of the buttermilk, which is worth a little 
more than the butter. The butter alone would not pay for the feed. 
It is evident that where the families in these villages do all the 
work, and the use of the pasture and stable is free, it may be more 
profitable for large families to have their own cow than to buy milk 
and butter for family use. 
