The Somerset reporter., 1886-05-05
onIy the Best Cows Pay.

IIOI. =. y. hlldpI' VI 1iI' ~"
Agricultural Collrg, says:
There is something radically
wrong about the established price
OF cows for the dairy. Most any OF
a scrub COW viii bring $50 III Iowa.
aud probably from beet stand
point she Il worth that amount
" lille il requires an extraordinary
COW to bring 80; and such sdies
can hardly be regarded as establish
lng market prcc, as they are only
occasional and rare. almost inNarl.
ably. sold for family COWS to tluan-
ricrs. From $50 to $50 may be re
gardcd as the range of prlee ioi
dairy cows. This fact is ploot that
the average dairymen and farmer
has spent very little time III testing
his cows for milk and butter. Go.
Ipp through the stables on the col
lcre farm the other day, | took
notes on TWO cows. Metle, an i'm.
ported Tristan. and Jennie. thor
oughbred scrub. They are both
six years old. Both dropped calves
one month since. 1t costs -four
cents more a day to keep Metie
than to keep Jennie. Mete gives
90 pounds OF milk per day. aud Jen-
ME - pounds
Stating it III another way, it cost
eighteen cents per day To keep
Mctie and fourteen cents per day TO
keep Jennie. Metje produces milk
at three.titths of IA cent quart and
jennie at one and three elcvenths
cents quart. The college paid
s35 for Jennie two years since, and
comparison COW. The milk
of the COW has been sold ut
three cents per quart. The income
for two years has been as follows
Two calves $1,000; six thousand
pounds of milk, $4,000; total 500
or $50 per annum The income
from Mctje has been, two calves
1919: twenty thousand pounds OF
milk, less 5000 lbs, consumed 10y
calves, 500; total 500 or S292."
per annum.
The expense of food, shelter, care
milking, and the interest on
capital. amount to So 90 for Metle
$50, estimating cost at $500. On
Jennie, there has been loss OF 80
per annum; on Mete profit OF
$3.50 per annum.
The cost OF food, etc, for JENNIE
may seem large, and is more than
many Iowa dairymen receive IRON
their cows, but everything is esti
mated ut cost. and only fair prlct
allowed for the milking. and the
labor Of the herdsman. The reason
it amounts to so much is that every
item is taken into account; whereas
among farmers, no estimate is MADE
of cost OF labor, OF superlntendrnce,
of buildings and of animals.
Jennie is an average Iowa COW
The conclusion is inevitable, that
one-half of our Iowa cows should
90 to the block, and the other hall
be bred up. If to the s2O9.5O profit
on Metje be added the $50 interest
on her cost making S239.o0D, we
have il sum as net profit which re
presents ten per cent on capita
of T2.i25. If fifteen per cent allow
ed annually for insurance and ultl
mate loss of animal, and five pei
cent for loss in calves, the average
value of Metle, measured 10y income
is reduced to $40, and on the same
basis Jennie is worth for milking
purposes solely, considerably less
than nothing. 1t should be note'
that the milk of Jennie was sole
and brought more Than 1t was wortl
for butter. 1t is safe Inference
that it is not profitable for the Iowa
farmer to engage i'll dairylng witt
average Iowa cows and hire all thu
work is done, and where the WORK
is done by the family, the return
must he less than a fair compensa
ton for the work performed. Only
a good COW pays.