1290 
Ibe RURAL NEW-YORKER 
would pay a fair price for a good grade cow, to say 
nothing of buying purebred animals at twice as 
much. Sensing the change in conditions, enterpris¬ 
ing dealers in the dairy sections succeeded in placing 
a few carloads of good grade dairy cows in the fruit 
sections. Cows from these shipments found their 
way into the hands of a large number of these gen¬ 
eral farmers, and these cows by their performance 
speedily convinced their new owners that there were 
“cows and cows,” just the same as “orchards and 
orchards,” and that a cow responded even more 
quickly to good care than did a tree. In a surpris¬ 
ingly short time, silo companies got on the job and 
turned to this hitherto neglected territory with truly 
wonderful results from their point of view. Taken 
altogether, the new industry caught on with unusual 
rapidity, both as regards the introduction of the 
stock and the aptitude with which the new dairy¬ 
men adjusted themselves to silos, improved stables, 
and regular care of the cows; and today it is not 
unusual to see a fruit grower who formerly would 
have laughed at the mention of a cow wisely airing 
his opinions at a purebred auction sale in the central 
part of the State. 
PUREBREDS SUPPLANTING GRADES—No 
sooner did these new dairymen discover that there 
was a diffei’ence in cows, and that there were some 
cows whose calves at birth could actually be sold for 
more than the price of an ordinary cow, than they 
began to be interested in getting hold of such animals 
for themselves. This increased purchasing of pure- 
breds by fruit growers and general farmers is just in 
its infancy. There is every reason for it increasing. 
These farmers are already committed to keeping 
cows. Quite largely, the product of these cows goes 
into butter and cream. With their skim-milk at 
home, they have a great advantage over the market 
milk producer in raising calves. By simply putting 
on purebi*eds, instead of grades, and changing the 
freshening period from Spring until Fall, they will 
increase the production of the cows themselves, 
they will be free to give them the best care when 
they need it, and will have the opportunity to de¬ 
velop the calf during the Winter months, and to 
market the surplus by mail before the busy Spring 
season opens. 
PUREBREDS SOLD BY MAIL.—For after all, 
the bigger percentage of purebx-ed livestock sales are 
made by mail, following advertisements which need 
not necessarily be expensive. By slightly increasing 
the investment in their cows and putting a little 
time and brains into studying blood lines and how' 
to make a sale by mail, a big return is possible. 
These new dairymen are beginning to realize it. 
Hence, their response to the purebred advertisement 
and the explanation of the fact that one Farm 
Bureau manager in Western New York reported that 
he could get more fruit growers out to a cow judg¬ 
ing demonstration than to a pruning demonstration. 
H. E. BABCOCK. 
Butter Fat At 40 Cents Per Pound 
L ACK OF ORGANIZATION.—Quite a large num¬ 
ber of dairymen sell high grade milk, cream or 
butter fat at very low prices, largely through lack 
of organization and knowledge of equivalent milk 
values. I believe the Dairymen's League could sell 
cream for our dairymen and also help to raise the 
value of butter fat per point over three per cent in 
milk. Considering the present price of butter ox- 
sweet cream to the consumer the farmer who gets 
but 40c per lb. for butter fat cannot be called a 
profiteer. He should more correctly be called an 
unorganized dairyman. With three per cent milk 
worth $3.18 per 100, five per cent milk is worth 
(20x4) $3.98 per 100. The first three pounds of 
fat sell for $1.00 per lb., and the next two pounds 
at 40c per lb. The producer of high grade luilk 
should receive at least eight cents per point over 
three per cent. 
CHEAP BUYING.—In my section of Western 
New York one condensery is said to make consider¬ 
able money in buying high-testing milk at four cents 
per point, or on a flat pooled 3.0 basis. This is 40c 
per lb. of butter fat. It is sold for $1.30 per gallon 
or bettei-, which is 77c per lb. for fat. The high fat 
producer of milk has four alternatives. First, he 
can be content with half value of butter fat and 
cheap high-quality milk. Second, he should be per¬ 
mitted to standardize to three per cent. Third, he 
should demand eight cents per point for fat over 
three per cent or better, to use four per cent milk as 
standard with eight cents per point up or down. 
Fourth, he can sell out and buy cows testing three 
per cent which will legally water his milk for him. 
The best method of all is to demand eight cents per 
point for fat which is fair for all dairymen, or 
change the method of selling milk to the basis of 
total solids in milk. 
WHAT 18 CREAM WORTH?—Cream often sells 
for less than its value as whole milk, because the 
farmer does not know how to figure its equivalent 
value. The following formula is very simple to de- 
tennine the value of a gallon of cream: 
EXAMPLE. 
Value 100 lbs. milk x w’t of cream x test of cream 
Divided by test of milk. 
$3.05 (value 100 lbs. 4% milk) x S.4465 x .20% test 
(W’t one gallon 20% cream). 
Divided by 4 (test of milk) = $1.66. 
Thus four per cent milk at $3.65 per 100 is worth 
$1.66 per gallon for 20 per cent cream. The farmer 
should deduct from $3.65 the value of skim-milk 
and add the cost of separation. lewis a. toan. 
Tompkins Co., N. Y. 
Figuring Contents of a Silo 
VERY week brings letters from people who want 
to know how to estimate the contents of a silo, 
and how much to take off the top day by day. The 
following tables are taken from Bulletin No. 1S9 of 
the Iowa Experiment Station at Ames. This bulletin 
gives an excellent discussion of silo construction. 
These tables show the number of tons we may expect 
in a silo of given capacity, and how much should be 
fed daily in order to prevent loss. This i*efers to 
silage made from cut corn. The weights given are 
average, for naturally a cubic foot at the bottom of 
the silo will weigh more than an equal sized quantity 
at the top. It seems that as a rule the taller silos 
are more economical in storing the silage, since the 
incx-eased weight, due to height, presses down the 
silage at the bottom. Most of the moldy or inferior 
silage is usually found at the top. 
capacity of bound silos. 
Inside 
Capacity 
Amt. that should 
iiameter 
Height 
Tons 
be fed daily, lbs. 
10 
25 
31.8 
525 
10 
30 
40.6 
525 
10 
35 
50.7 
525 
12 
30 
58 
755 
12 
35 
73 
755 
12 
40 
8S 
755 
12 
45 
104 
755 
12 
50 
120 
755 
14 
30 
80 
1030 
14 
35 
99 
1030 
14 
40 
120 
1030 
14 
45 
141 
1030 
14 
50 
164 
1030 
16 
.30 
104 
1340 
16 
35 
129 
1340 
16 
40 
156 
1340 
16 
45 
184 
1340 
16 
50 
214 
1340 
18 
30 
132 
1700 
IS 
35 
164 
1700 
18 
40 
19S 
1700 
18 
45 
234 
1700 
18 
50 
271 
1700 
AMOUNT OF SILAGE FED PER DAY. 
Kinds of Stock Daily Ration Lbs. 
Beef Cattle 
Wintering calves S months old.... 15-25 
Wintering breeding cows. 30-50 
Fattening beef cattle, 18-36 months old 
First stage of fattening. 60-30 
Latter stage of fattening. 30-12 
Dairy Cattle 
Dairy cows. 25-45 
Dairy heifers, 1 to 2 years. 10-20 
Bulls. 10-20 
Sheep 
Wintering breeding sheep. 2-6 
Fattening lambs. 1-3 
Fattening sheep . 1-4 
If other roughage is fed. as in case of sheep or cattle, 
they will eat lees silage. Two and one-half to three 
pounds silage replaces one pound hay and some grain 
in addition. 
In moderate weather exposure to the air of loose 
silage starts spoiling. Where the silage is well set¬ 
tled about two inches off the top may be fed each 
day in cool weathei-. In Summer about three inches 
should be fed. The figures in the first table show 
September 6, 1919 
about what shoxild be taken out each day in order 
to keep the silage sweet. 
This bulletin contains a drawing showing how a 
water tank may be put on top of a masoni-y silo. 
The position is shown at Fig. 406 and the following 
description is given : 
“The masonry silo makes without additional cost 
a good tower to support a water supply tank where 
a water supply system is desired. The agricultural 
engineering section has been experimenting for sev¬ 
eral yeai-s in the construction of elevated tanks of 
masoniy. Some difficulty has beeu experienced in 
making the wall watertight in a tank such as shown 
in Fig. 406. The inner surface of a tank wall of this 
type was treated with a coating of asphalt and then 
cement plastered in 1915. This tank is giving no 
trouble from leakage at the pi-esent time, and we 
believe that this treatment will make this type of 
tank successful. The water supply pipe to the tank 
must be well insulated.” 
Statement of a Wool Sale 
A T the field day of the State Federation of Wool 
Growers held at Cooperstown, N. Y., August 
13, it appeared to be a matter of considex-able in¬ 
terest to several of the repl-eseuta lives of other asso¬ 
ciations as to the manner of grading our wool, which 
was shipped to Adams & Lelancl this year to be sold 
on commission. So far as I have been able to learn 
most of the other wool handled by the vai-ious county 
associations is brought to a central point and there 
gi-aded and sold. The practice of our association, 
the Washington and Rensselaer, has been to mark 
each individual’s wool so it can be kept separate. 
When received by the buyers it is graded, and when 
sold a check for the whole amount is sent to the 
president of our association with the individual sales 
sheets, who makes out the separate checks from the 
sales sheets and sends them to their owners pinned 
to their sales sheets. 
As it would be a considerable task to make out 
copies enough of one of our sales sheets for this year 
to send to all who have asked for it. it has occurred 
to me that if published in Tiie R. N.-Y t . it would 
reach all the persons who desire it. as I have never 
met an up-to-date wool man yet who does not take 
this paper. My wool went in the first shipment made 
by our association this yeai\ and left Eagle Bridge 
May 3. Our first shipment of three cars amounted 
to 70,000 pounds, and the average price received was 
69 cents net. The second shipment, which left June 
7, of about 53.000 pounds, is still to be heard from, 
but from word received from the commission house 
will bring considerably more than the first lot, and 
the last lot of 16.801 pounds, shipped July 12, will 
bring a still larger price. 
As will be seen from the sales sheet below my own 
wool brought an average price of under 69 cents, but 
other lots with a larger proportion of delaine merino 
bi-ought up the average to a trifle over the 69 cents. 
SHIPMENT FROM EAGLE BRIDGE, N. Y., MAY 3. 
OUR LOT NO. 439. 
Account sales of six bags wool sold for account C. C. 
Perry, Px-esident W. & R. Co., A. John C. Cotti-ell clip. 
1919 Terms 
May 16 90 days No. 1, 95 lbs. at75c.$71.25 
May 19 <50 days No. 2 /j. staple, 812 lbs. at72c. 584.64 
M. ;; 19 60 days Fancy Delaine, 188 lbs.at 72c. 135.36 
May 20 60 days Delaine, 66 lbs. at 66c. 42.90 
May 22 60 days XX. 23 lbs. at 60c.13.80 
June 5 60 days J /j clothing. 11 lbs. at 60c... 6.60 
June 10 60 days Tags, 9 lbs. at loc. 1.35 
June 11 60 days 2/S’s, 17 lbs. at 66c. 11.22 
Total. 1.221 lbs.$S67.12 
Average due July 21, 1919, less interest at 6 %.. 3.3S 
$S63.74 
OUTLAYS AND CHARGES. 
1919 
May 13 Freight on 6 bags, $3.50. 
Cartage on 6 bags, 84c. 
Interest on charges $4.34, 44 days at 6% 
Commission and guarantee 2*/{>c lb. on sales. 
4.34 
.03 
30.52 
$34.S9 
Net proceeds due June 26, 1919.$82S.S4 
Boston. Mass., June 26, 1919. 
Sales. 1.221 lbs. 
Invoice 1,211 lbs. 
Gain 10 lbs. 
So* far as I know the members of our association 
are satisfied with the prices received, and judging 
from the prices the other associations repox-t as hav¬ 
ing received they should also be well satisfied. Cer¬ 
tainly it is several cents more per pound than the 
wool would have brought them if sold through the 
local buyers. Nevertheless it would seem in view 
of the fact that a million pounds has been handled 
by the various associations in the State this year we 
should look forward to the State Federation arrang¬ 
ing in the future for some central point to which 
the wool shall be shipped, there to be graded and 
sold under the supervision of the fedei’ation. 
Eagle Bi'idge, N. Y. J. c. p. 
