930 
Tht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
was done during the past Winter with a ear of lambs 
will serve to show the possibilities of this line of 
work, and the following figures speak for them¬ 
selves : 
220 lambs, av. 50 lbs., cost delivered. $1,518.00 
Pasture, 7 weeks, on second growth clover... 125.00 
Grain ration average 4 bu. barley per day, 10 
weeks . 280.00 
Hay and silage, same period, Nov. 24-Feb. 1, 
estimated . . 300.00 
Interest on investment. 4 months. 30.36 
Value of manure equal to labor (2 hours per 
day) . 
Total cost . $2,253.36 
Sales— 
179 lambs, av. 81 lbs., sold at 17c. 
29 lambs, av. 73 lbs., sold at 1514c. $2,701.76 
12 pelts at $1.50 each. 18.00 
Total sales. $2,719.76 
Less cost . 2,253.36 
Net profit . $466.40 
Had these lambs been held a few weeks longer the 
advance in the market from 17 cents to 21% cents 
would have made the net profit more than $1,000 
on the lot, which gives us an opportunity to exercise 
the inherent desire to gamble which most men 
possess to a greater or less degree. It will be noticed 
that these lambs gained from 50 pounds to about 
80 pounds in four months, not a record gain by any 
means. A larger gain might have been made by 
feeding grain while on pasture, but it would not 
have been made so cheaply, and might not have given 
any more net profit. The largest gains are not 
always the most economical, since it means more 
grain and labor. It is worthy of mention that all 
of this feed is home-grown, not one pound being 
bought during the entire feeding period. 
MAKING PORK.—Whether we are feeding for 
meat or milk, one secret of success lies in growing 
instead of buying your own feed just so far as pos¬ 
sible. Of course this goal is not always attainable, 
but it may be to a greater degree than most of us 
practice. This cuts down the largest item of expense* 
not only, but affords a market for our farm products 
at good figures. So in pork production we must 
revise the old idea of “corn and hogs” as being “one 
and inseparable—the union forever.” More pasture 
and less grain for our growing pigs especially will 
give us a more healthy, vigorous, larger-framed' 
animal to work on. and at much less than closer 
confinement, a heavier ration and consequent in¬ 
creased amount of care and labor. 
PROFITABLE SWINE.—The day after Thanks¬ 
giving. last Fall, we sold 41 Spring pigs that brought 
us over $1,500, which were raised in the following 
manner: As soon as the pigs were able to run out 
with the sows (about three weeks old) they were 
all turned out on Alfalfa pasture. Shortly after that 
a small field of Dwarf Essex rape, which was sown 
as early as the ground could be worked, was avail¬ 
able for pasture. At all times the hogs had access 
to an apple orchard, where all “drops” were 
promptly appropriated. About three acres of clover 
was fenced off from the field we had reserved for 
hay, and this added to the variety they had to 
choose from, and still later they were given free 
range over all the meadow, with the lambs pre¬ 
viously mentioned, as the aftermath attained suffi¬ 
cient size. About September 10 two or three acres 
of State corn was just beginning to glaze, and they 
were allowed to harvest this crop, a portable fence 
dividing the piece so they were made to clean up 
one-half at a time, the easiest and most economical 
corn harvest we ever experienced. Late in October 
we began feeding these hogs; previous to this time 
the labor had been almost negligible. This feed 
consisted of cooked cull beans and ground barley, 
and the ears of corn which were picked up in the 
field after filling our silo. The ears were also saved 
from the last six or eight loads of corn that went 
into the silo, as it would have been wasted there; 
all this was fed without husking, of course. Here 
again I do not claim maximum gains were made. 
Had they been fed more heavily on grain a larger 
gain could have been secured, but not as economi¬ 
cally. 
BEEF CATTLE IN NEW YORK.—Shortly after 
the lambs referred to were marketed 14 steers were 
secured at the Buffalo stockyards, averaging 820 
pounds, at 11% cents per pound. These were well- 
bred cattle of the beef type and were put in Feb. 5, 
the 14 steers costing $1,365.38, including freight from 
Buffalo. Silage, AlLrlfa and clover hay and about 
2% bushels of ground barley per day in two feeds 
(not a heavy ration by any means) has brought 
these cattle up to an average of 1,008 pounds, not¬ 
withstanding the fact that one of them chanced to 
be such a poor feeder that he weighed less when 
sold, on May 12, than when he was purchased. This. 
of course hurt the appearance and consequently the 
sale of this bunch of cattle. These steers sold at 
14 cents per pound on the same market where they 
were purchased, the same firm handling them. The 
net returns were $1,922.76, the advance over cost, 
$557.38, being what we received for feed consumed 
and labor. It would at least be fair, however, to 
check the fei’tilizing value of the manure against 
the labor, and at present prices of potash and nitro¬ 
gen I think there would be quite a balance in favor 
of the manure. Again, only home-grown feeds, it 
will be noted, were used, as has been true with our 
seven horses and three cows. 
EQUALIZING WORK.—The question of main¬ 
taining our fertility is one which concerns every 
farmer, and to dp this most of us feel that more 
stock solves the problem. Not every farmer likes 
the dairy business, as is the case with the one who 
raised this question, and this method affords an 
opportunity to feed our roughage and grain at home 
during a shorter period of the year, at a time when 
labor is not so valuable, releasing our help during 
the growing season, giving us a longer day to care 
for our farm crops, unless, perchance, we are trying 
to observe the daylight-saving fad, as our chores 
are practically all done during the Winter months. 
Thus by giving us a more uniform amount of work 
the year around, Ave can employ a better grade of 
help by the year, and we find that they prefer this 
type of work to dairying. i. c. h. cook. 
Genesee Co., N. Y. 
Seasonal Variation in Milk Composition 
What Happens to the Cow in Summer? 
•Part II. 
BREED VARIATIONS.—It is worth while to 
know if this seasonal factor Avorks differently with 
different breeds, and what may be expected with a 
mixed herd under actual working conditions. The 
herd at the Storrs Station was made up of repre¬ 
sentatives of the four dairy breeds, and figures show¬ 
ing monthly per cent fat and per cent solids not fat 
were tabulated for the year 1915 for each breed, and 
for the herd as a whole. A study of these data is 
presented in condensed form in Table III: 
Table III. 
, JVr- Guern- Ayr- Hoi- Mixed 
sey sey shire stein Herd 
Jan. Fat Test. 5.50 4.77 4.28 3.51 4.35 
Lowest Fat Test. 4 72 3 93 3.76 3.09 3.88 
Mo. of Lowest Test.... June July June April June 
Difference .7S .84 .52 .42 .47 
Jan. SNF Test. 9.22 9.57 S.85 8 99 9 11 
Lowest SNF Test.S.42 S.52 8.26 8.17 8.37 
Mo. of LoAvest Test—. Aug. Aug. June April Aug. 
Difference .SO 1.05 .59 .S2 .74 
RESULTS COMPARED. — These figures sIxoav that 
there is a seasonal variation of both fats and solids 
not fat in all breeds. In some instances the lacta¬ 
tion stage helps to make this condition more pro¬ 
nounced. The cows are too few in number and one 
year is too short a time to work out any exact rate of 
decrease in test. It is shown that the decrease is 
greater Avith the higher-testing breeds, except, in the 
ease of the Holstein, Avhere the decrease in per cent 
of solids not fat is as great as for the Jersey. The 
decrease in solids not fat for all breeds and for the 
entire herd is greater than the decrease in fat. 
FALL FRESHENING.—One of the reasons Avhy 
men handling coavs for advanced registry records 
have found it advantageous to have cows calve in 
the Fall is that they can obtain a higher average 
fat percentage throughout the year. The average 
figures for cows calving in October, November and 
December range someAvliat higher than the other 
months. This is doubtless due to the seasonal factor, 
resulting in a higher test during the period of heavy 
milk flow than is obtained at other times in the 
year. It is also Avell known in circles Avhere seven- 
day tests are made that in fitting the cow by fatten¬ 
ing a better fat test will result from Winter-calving 
cows. 
PRACTICAL POINTS.—One of the practical 
points brought out by a study of these figures is the 
probability that in the Summer time the milk of the 
various breeds or of a mixed herd is below the 
common standard of 8.50 per cent solids not fat. 
Table III indicates that it is more difficult in the 
Summer time to produce milk Avhich is up to 8.5 
per cent solids not fat than to produce milk which 
is up to the fat standard. Here even the Jerseys 
fall slightly beloAV the standard for one month. The 
Guernseys run dangerously near the line, the Ayr- 
shires are below two months, the Holst* as five 
months, and the mixed herd three months. The 
decline in fat test for the Jersey is .78, or about 
tAvice as great r.s for the Holstein .42. These figures 
conform almost exactly Avith the observations made 
June 7, 1019 
by one of New York’s large milk companies, avIio 
write: “Would say our experience shows that 
dairies composed of a great part of Holstein cattle 
will vary about five per cent in butterfat between 
Summer and Winter and in dairies with Jersey 
cattle test will vary about one per cent.” 
DEALERS’ FIGURES.—Thinking it would be of 
interest to see just Iioav seasonal fat variation 
shoAved up in dealers’ tests the writer wrote to the 
largest New York milk concern, Avho furnished the 
folloAving figures: 
Table IV. 
Showing the average monthly fat content in the milk 
of 4.200 dairies for the year ending March 31, 1917. 
April.3.75 Aug.3.S5 Dec .4.0 
May. 3.75 Sept.4.0 Jan.3.9 
June .3.75 Oct.4.1 Feb.3.85 
July . 3.8 Nov.4.1 March _ 3.7 
These figures show a .3 to .4 per cent drop during 
the Spring and Summer. Figures were also given 
showing the average monthly tests in 10 country 
plants representing about 500 dairies. In every case 
the highest tests occur in the Fall and Winter 
months. Also October and March figures AA’ere 
given on 40 individual dairies, the October tests 
averaging 3.8 per cent and the March tests 3.6 per 
cent. 
WHY THIS SEASONAL VARIATION.—The ex¬ 
act cause of lower tests in Spring and Summer is not 
known. It does not seem to be a matter of the kind 
of feed, because the test begins to drop while coavs 
are still on Winter feed. Neither does it seem to 
be abrupt changes in temperature. The writer has 
studied tests in so-called “warm spells” and “cold 
snaps” in Winter, and no correlation can be made 
between these sudden changes and the per cent of 
fat in milk. It is a change that comes on gradually. 
H. P. JUDKINS. 
A Case of Mismanagement 
ES, I would attribute “Marylander’s” pitiful re¬ 
sults in farming (page 805) to mismanagement. 
Noaa-, don’t all “holler” at me until you hear of my 
credentials as a judge of such matters. I have been 
both a “farmer” and a “business man” (using the 
“marks” advisedly). I know both games and can 
play them both in a medium successful way. To 
start Avith, let us all agree that nowadays a farmer 
must be a fairly good business man. “Marylander” 
is eA idently no business man, and at his age he ouclit 
not to have gone into farming, especially not into 
dairying in a location where there is no local market 
for milk and no shipping facilities. If lie had asked 
I iie It. N.-Y. before embarking on the seA’en years’ 
hard work stunt, The R. N.-Y. would surely have ad¬ 
vised him in a manner to saA’e him money and toil. 
To plug away for even three years with so little re¬ 
turn is sheer self-castigation; also it is bad business. 
To start Avith a mortgage of $1,500 and after seven 
years to see it increase to $2,000 with not much in¬ 
crease in the security is bad business. To confess 
that he has an income of over $2,000, not counting 
flour, meat, etc. (which ought to be counted), and 
yet not able to progress financially, is a confession 
of bad business management. 
As a worker this good man is a big success. To 
attain an income of approximately $2,500 at the age 
of 60 is an accomplishment deserving all praise. 
But Avhere did the money go? He says nothing of 
children, had no luxuries, no entertainment (not 
even church going), and yet he got away with the 
bulk of that money. lie gives us no details of his 
expenditures. Let’s see. Interest on an indebted¬ 
ness of $2,000 Avould be $120; taxes, probably $30; 
insurance. $15; labor (boy for eight months), at most 
$240; fertilizer for 60 acres, $200; repairs (he says 
his implements, etc., sadly need repairing or replac¬ 
ing, so not much was done in that line), let us say 
$150 annually. This gives us a total of $755. De¬ 
duct that from $2,500 and he ought to have left 
$1,745 to live on. Surely he and his Avife are not 
going to eat and wear that up in one year. Did it 
all go into that mysterious item “Supplies,” which I 
have omitted as it is too vague an expression. Even 
conceding that he could not pay off more than $200 
on indebtedness out of this, he surely could get him¬ 
self sufficient clothes and afford to go to some enter¬ 
tainment. My income has been in my 26 working 
years much less than that, but I have lived. Also I 
have supported three children, asking not a cent con¬ 
tribution from them. Hundreds are doing better 
than I, so I have no reason for thinking my man¬ 
agement especially skillful. My good wife last year 
raised 100 bushels of corn and five tons Alfalfa hay 
at a cost of hardly $25. Our living expenses Avere 
exactly $528, including clothing for the Avhole family, 
and Ave Avere able to lay by over $400. We manage 
