4 
BULLETIN 919, U. S. DEPAKTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
size of 28.6 cows, and produced an average of 8,323 pounds of 3.59 
per cent milk per cow. The cows were mostly Holsteins, and the 
average annual production for both years was 7,833 pounds of 3.66 
per cent milk. During the first year the pastures were poorer than 
they had been for years, whereas during the second year they were 
exceptionally good until the last month, when the herds were pastured 
on the second-growth meadows. As a matter of record, many herds 
grazed on pastures in which the clover stood a foot high — high 
enough to be cut for hay. The extreme variation in the condition of 
the pastures during the two seasons largely accounts for the increase 
of 954 pounds of milk per cow during the second year. 
For each 100 cows in the herds during the two years, 55 freshened 
during the winter six-months period and 42 during the summer 
season, while 3 cows did not calve during the year. During the first 
year the cows dropping calves in winter were dry 1.9 months, while 
those cows dropping calves in summer were dry 1.4 months. The 
corresponding figures for the second year were 2.2 months in winter 
and 1.5. months in summer. Nearly one-half of the cows freshening 
dropped their calves during the months from February to May, 
inclusive. 
REQUIREMENTS FOR PRODUCING 100 POUNDS OF MILK. 
The unit requirements for producing 100 pounds of milk during 
this investigation are shown in Table 1. In order to secure more 
uniform results and to overcome the effect of fluctuating prices, money 
values have been eliminated as much as possible. By showing the 
feeds in terms of pounds and the labor in terms of hours it will be 
possible to use these figures for some time to come. 
Table 1. — Units required, except cost of management, for producing 100 pounds 
of milk in winter and in summer. 
Item. 
Winter. 
Two 
winters. 
Summer. 
Two 
1917-18 
1919-20 
1917-181 
1919 
summers. 
Feed: 
Purchased concentrates pounds. . 
Home-grown grains do 
25.8 
1.1 
18.8 
12.9 
22.1 
7.3 
4,3 
4.9 
1.1 
4.6 
.6 
Total concentrates 
26.9 
$0. 016 
31.7 
$0,028 
2 29.4 
$0,022 
4.3 
$0,002 
6.0 
$0,004 
5.22 
Hauling and grinding concentrates 
$0,003 
Noncommercial roughage pounds. . 
.9 
90.1 
3.1 
10.2 
70.0 
11.7 
5.8 
79.5 
7.6 
.2 
9.0 
.8 
.1 
Commercial carbohydrate hay . . do 
Legume hay do 
4.4 
.3 
6.8 
.6 
Total dry roughage 
94.1 
156.8 
91.1 
131.1 
92.9 
143.3 
4.7 
42.7 
.027 
10.0 
38.2 
.02 
.2 
7.5 
Silage and other succulent rough- 
age pounds. . 
Pasture acres. . 
40.4 
.025 
Bedding pounds . . 
12.4 
5.9 
9.0 
.1 
1 This season consisted of September, and October, 1917, and May, June, and July, and August, 1918. 
2 The summary of the unit requirements by seasons is printed in bold-faced type for convenience of the 
reader. 
