
New York AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 295 
8. Prorit Dgrivep From Setting Mitx Propucep sy Dirrsr- 
ENT Breeps or Datry Cows. 
In considering the profit derived from selling milk, we must 
fix on a uniform system of valuation. We have presented calcu- 
lations based on three different methods for fixing the money value 
of milk when sold for consumption as milk. Which of these 
methods will serve our purpose most fairly for making a compar- 
ison of the approximate value of milk? While the milk-fat 
furnishes the only fair and practicable basis for determining the 
value of milk that is to be made into butter or cheese, and while 
this method could also be utilized in enabling us to make a valua- 
tion of milk, that is to be sold for consumption as milk, we shall 
probably approximate more closely the actual market value of 
milk as now sold, by making the milk-solids our basis of valua- 
tion. Therefore, in making our comparison of profits derived 
from selling milk, we will make use of the value furnished by this 
method of calculation. If from the selling value of the milk, 
thus found, we subtract the cost of food eaten by the animals, we 
obtain the approximate amount of profit. However, when the 
milk is taken from the farm and no part retained in any form, a 
certain amount of food and fertilizing material is removed, which 
the dairyman must replace in someform. Toillustrate, when we 
sell and carry away from the farm 1000 pounds of average milk 
for $12.50, we take from the farm materials which have a food 
and fertilizing value of 25 cents for each 100 pounds of milk 
or $2.50 for the 1000 pounds of milk. By retaining the skim milk 
and buttermilk and selling only the fat in the form of butter, we 
could secure the same amount of money for 1000 pounds of milk 
and still retain on the farm the materials which are worth $2.50 
for food and.fertilizer. Therefore, when we take the milk from 
the farm, we must, for each 1000 pounds, pay out from the 
money received $2.50 to replace the food and fertilizing materials 
sent away in the milk, if we are to keep the farm and animals in 
the condition we should, when we retain on the farm the skim 
milk and buttermilk. In theory, then, at least, of the $12.50 
received for the milk, we must pay out $2.50 to buy food and 
_ fertilizer to take the place of that removed in the milk sold, and 
the actual profit derived from selling 1000 pounds of milk would 
be $2.50 less than the apparent profit. 
