The Yale expositor., 1901-07-12
Dairy Industry in missouri.

Dairy Industry In Missouri.
The Missouri State Board of Agricul-
ture has been looki g into the dairy
from report on the matter we make
the following excerpts:
We cannot record such a condition
OF dairying in this state at this time
as pardonable state pride would per-
init, but we have abundant reason for
being encouraged on account OF what
has been done and for the evidences
Of new era in dairy development that
is now dawning From the State
Auditors report We learn that there
were in Missouri on June l, 1900, about
2,l72,S72 cattle, from which we esti-
mate that there are $4,000 cows or
more. Making a reasonable estimate
for the number that are used for
breeding purposes only, we think 1t
safe figure to place the number of
cows in the state available for diary
purposes at 100000. A large number
OF these cows are used for raising
calves and far the production OF milk
and butter for home consumption, and
after the calves are weaned the cows
are dried off and "roughed" through
the winter, thus producing a very
small profit to the owner above the
cost of keeping. A considerable num-
Der of cows are kept in private milk
diaries that furnish milk directly to
the consumer in towns and cities.
From reports received from forty milk
diaries located in different parts OF the
state and probably representing fair
average condition, we find that the
average annual production per cow is
400 pounds of milk, calculated at the
average price received per 100 pounds,
makes an average per cow of about
$5l.25 gross receipts. For about the
same number of butter dairies the av-
erage annual production is 252.5 pounds
OF butter per COW, calculated at the
average price received for butter, %
cents, makes S5S per head, not count
Ing the skim milk. From about thirty
creameries and Swimming stations re-
porting more than 10000 cows, the av-
erage number of pounds of milk re-
ceived per COW is 1000 pounds, aver
age price paid for milk at 1873 cents
per hundred makes S29.32 per head.
From eleven cheese factories re-
porting about 100 cows an average of
1914 pounds of milk per cow is made
at 70 cents per hundred pounds, the
average price reported for milk, makes
only $26.35 per head. There are prob
ably more than two hundred creamer-
les and skimming stations in the state,
perhaps thirty or forty cheese fac
tories, and a large number of private
milk and butter dairies. From the re-
ports We have at hand, aided by the
census figures of 1890, we estimate the
number of cows furnishing milk for
these purposes to be 100000. II these
produce an annual product worth $45,
which is much below that made by
either the butter or milk dairies re-
porting, but above the amount for the
creameries, we have a total value of
$4.500,000. We estimate that 100000
cows are kept on the farms primarily
for raising calves, but from which
considerable quantity Of butter is
produced for home consumption and
the surplus sold to local trade or to
shippers. These cows produce upon an
average 100 pounds of butter that sells
for 1914 cents per pound, which makes
total value of 100000. To this
should be added the value of the skim
milk which is worth ut low estimate
$3.50 per cow or S1,250,000 making a
grand total of nearly S11. 900, 900 worth
of dairy products for the state This
is certainly not a bad showing when
we take into consideration the fact
that practically nothing has been done
to develop the industry in Missouri.
This calculation, 1t will be seen, does
not reckon the value OF the manure
returned to the land or the calves an
nually raised, which at low estimate
would add not less than S10,000,00o
to the amount.