Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1891-05-15
SMALL PROFIT IN COWS
EXPERIMENTS SHOW a SLIGHT MAR
GIN IN DAIRY FARMING.

GIN m DAIRY FARMING
prosssbIs Returns Are Generally so
msarer THAT Great Care should BE
used IL Selecting Only the Best AMI
mais-suocess Depends on Manure.
The need Of better cows for the dairy is
coming to be very generally apprecla1ea.
The dairy commissioner Of Iowa Is to
ported as saying that the average COW III. N
that state gives but $500 pounds OF INNS ll
annually, while good ones yield rom 2,OOO
to GOO pounds. The director OF Vhe y q,
mont station states that the average yleia
per COW in that state is only about loo
pounds Of butter per annum, Wine there
are thirty diaries in the state that average
over 800 pounds per COW.
The director Of the New YORK STATION
avs. New York has 100000 mich COWS,
probably producing on an average less
shan 8 600 pounds Of milk per year. ana the
ornuai average butter product per COW for
fbe state IS undoubtedly less than $50
,,os,uds This should not be, when there
are whole herds averaging 300, and some
zoo. pounds Of butter per year for each
cow Animals producing these by no
means phenomenal yields are not confined
10 any particular breed, and are often
GRADES Of our So called native or no breed
animals. Proper selection, systematic
breeding and judicious feeding have pro
duced these profitable animals and nerds
The difference in the milk producing
oHalities OF different COWS is brought out
very clearly by a series Of experiments
conducted at the Massachusetts State sta
fion of which Professor g. A.. GOessmann
e director They are especially interesting,
because the cows and their feed ana care
were such as are found on the better farms
OF Massachusetts and the results, OBJ
tanned with the appliances Of well
eouipped experiment station, show IN &C
our,fe and full detail the elements Of &C
tual profit and loss as they could not be
found in ordinary farm experience.
EXPERIMENTS IN MASSACHUSETTS,.
These experiments have been made with
twelve cows, and have continued over five
wears. Grade Jersey, Ayrshire, Devon,
Durham and Dutch and native cows were
used. They were secured for the expert
ments a few days after calving, and fed
until the daily yield fell below five or SIX
quarts. when they were sold to the butch
er The length Of the feeding period. e.,
duration Of the experiment with each COW
varied from 26I to SEQ days. Hay, fodder,
corn, corn silage, green crops. roots and
cornmeal wheat, bran and other gram
were used.
The daily ration per head consisted OF
eighteen to twenty pounds Of dry fodder,
on its equivalent Of green fodder, and
from 81 TO gsI pounds Of grain Careful
accounts have been kept Of the history Of
each COW, including breed, age, number Of
calves, length of feeding period, amounts
and kinds Of fodder, yield OF milk, chem
zeal composition Of feed, milk and manure,
,ast Of cow and feed and values Of milk
s.... - ldre. p ,,,,-tuer' -
Tbe following - - ecapitulation OF the
financial record Of the cows The milk
was reckoned at the price paid for it at the
neighboring creameries. The value OF tht
manure produced is calculated by assum
ing that Of the total amount Of tood z,
per cent would be sold with the milk anc
the remaining S0per cent. saved as manure
As farmers in the region buy CONNER
cial fertilizers for the sake OF their nitro
zen. phosphoric acid and potash, 1t was as
eumed that these same ingredients woult
be worth about as much, pound for pound
in the manure as in the better class OF ler
tiiizers, and accordingly the value Of thu
manure was computed by taking the nitro
gen as worth l61S cents, phosphonc aels
six cents, and potash ~ cents, per pound
The return for feed consumed represents
what the feeder receives for labor, HOUSING
Of cattle, interest Of capital invested, rlsl
OF loss Of animals, etc.
RESULTS IN FIGURES.
The most profitable COW was bought 70
SEQ fed 5s4 DAYS and then sold for =,
making her actual cost S32, and the fee
cost sl35.O5, so that the total cash outla,
was si67.05 The milk brought s203.si al
the creamery, and the manure was estimat
ed to be worth S56.9s, making the tota
value received for feed consumed, ssoO,5y
Subtracting the total cash outlay OF slbi'u
from this, there remains S93.s5 as net rg
turn for feed consumed. Deducting tn
estimated value Of the manure, the re
mainder return in excess OF estlnate
value Of manure" is 1862.
In the average for the twelve cows, tn
net return was S5O.4s, and the return j.
excess of the estimated value OF the man
nre only si518. With the least proftabi
cov TIE cash outlay for COW and feed ex
ceeded the value Of the milk and manur
bv s907. in other words, the net return 70
feed consumed was 1897 less than nothing
Snbtracting the value Of the manure, ia
total loss was S3425; that is to say, allow
ing for the value Of the manure, the II
cults with the twelve COWS varied from
gain Of 500 to a loss Of S397, or, If tn
value Of the manure be left out OF az
count, from a gain Of S36.39 to a loss 9
s3425
1t is noticeable that the profit Or loss di'
not depend upon either the breed or til
length Of the feeding period The mos
prbftable COW, and the least profitable bu
one. were both OF the same breed OF tn
two most profitable cows, one was fed 70
6sAdays and the other for only 27s days
Two things, then, are brought out yer
clearly by these experiments. One Is thu
in such localities as this the value OF th
manure goes far to decide the profit !
feeding dairy cattle. Another is that COW
which would ordinarily pass for good one
may differ widely in product.
To the practical dairyman these exper
ments teach clearly the difference betwee
cows which are profitable and those whie
are not and the importance OF seleetin
the best cows for his dairy and getting ri
of the poor ones. In q larger sense the
illustrate to every farmer the important
OF knowing accurately the condition Of
business. Upon this its success or tailI
LARGELY epends.-Farmers' Bulletin n
g United States Department Of Agricul
ure.
An Enthusiast in o Company.
Ma 49,. .a- cborna "a sit in a roo