The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-01-25
HOW 10 KEEP ONE cow.
Some Criticisms on the Figures
Given in the Prize Essay.
Editors Herald:

Editors Herald:
Having noticed the HERALD's
prize essay, "How to Keep Cow"
1 wish to give sJme figures as to
the final result under the following:
fOne year l kept an account of
every cent l received from my COW,
and every cent / paid out for her. l
have forgotten the exact figures
now, but recollect the result well.
There were five in my family at
the time, and my COW gave US all
The milk we could use and l OBJ
tanned all the butter we needed
from the cream still 1 had milk to
sell. From the money [ received
from the sale of milk fed the old
cow herself, ted year and half old
heifer, and kept a calf the whole
year around and at the close of the
year. still had 500 clear of all ex-
penses in hard money. And mind
you, she is only common COW, not
at all remarkable as a mixer or q
butter COW, and she is not and never
has Ueen worth $50, though wonld
not take that much for her." Now as
the exact figure in the aboves have
been forgotten l wish to pre- duce
them and see how they will agree
with the result, Now l wish to
say that the kind of COW that is
here described as a common old
cow, not at all remarkable for milk
or butter, and my experience is that
she will dry up five or six months
after calving and will scarcely pay
her own keep the year around. l
will not take such COW as that but
will take the fair average COW with
calf worth about $50, and as a year
and a half old heifer is brought into
the account we will put the price at
500, which amounts to $50, so far
invested. Now the interest on this
sum at one per cent per month at
the end of the year will be $500.
Now TO build barn for cow, calf
and heifer and the price of ground
to build on, moderately speaking.
we will plrce at 5000, the
interest on which would amount
to $24 during the year
For hand to do the work, or your
own time in taking care of the three
head as recommended, at a low
figure, soc. per day, amounting in
the year to S1S2.50. For all the
milk family of five can use, and tC
raise the calf and make the LutteI
for the five persons at low esti
mate, ten quarts per day, at 10c. pei
quart, amounting at 81 per day.
during the year to 1865. For feeC
for cow and year and a half ole
neifer, for one year, at soc. per day,
$1S2.50, which makes the sum tota
of $763.60 in expenses for the year
Now we come to the profits of th'
average good COW, cared for in thu
way recommended: She will give al
average of eight quarts Of milk pc
day the year round, which, at til
highest price for milk in this city
l0c. per quart, amounts to 1927
Then we have the increases
value of the heifer and calf for tn,
year which l think would no
amount to over $40 in value; which
added to the 1922 amounts to $3I
which you will substract from tn
S763.60, not to mention the $40
claimed i'll hard cash over ant
above the S763.6e, and you will
have difference OF the nice littl
sum of $451. In view of this show
ing would it not be wise to dispos
of the heifer and calf and Onl,
keep the COW for the good of th
family, and not by way of fnan
cial success. The experience o
many is that often by by greer
| lucerne and sometimes by Othe
means a COW may become dea,
loss when she kicks the bucket
And besides that, who is there VIII
would be Imprisoned morning
noon and night without some rea
financial benefit? I have given tn
above figures to show that ther
must be some mistake about the re
4 sui: as claimed and that the MAJ
must have got some other none.
mixed il with his milk money, bu
| if the above figures are not corr eel
then I am certainly deficient in m.
calculation. Yours very truly,
A 49'er.