Rocky Ford enterprise., 1901-02-01
HOW 10 GET THE MOST PROFIT
FROM THE DAIRY COW.
BY b. W. BELL.

How TO get the most profit out OF Il
dairy cow II Il question which II II
We're asked OF IL dozen men Interested
In cows would probably call forth II
dozen different replies.
The number OF things which We
know we don't know about cows are
50 many compared with the things we
do know that the greatest diversity OF
opinion may prevail among men With
equal opportunities for gaining lnior-
mniion and with equal Intelligence In
drawing conclusions from the facts rs
they nrc presented To them.
The amount OF cow literature that Is
presented to the public tnrourh tile me-
dinm Of the agricultural press is some
thing appalling. and few writers OF
prominence agree oil the majority OF
important points.
The iiuc dairy COW. representing as
She does the result Of generations Of
human skill directed To the preserving
and maintaining the survival Of the
iittcst for the purpose desired. Is some
thing so sensitive TO conditions aud cir
cutnstanccs over which man has ho
knowledge or control. that the most
fine spun theories fall down at times
when confronted by u few stubborn
facts.
Cowoiogy runs In fads and fads are
carried To such mn extreme that they
become ridiculous and dangerous.
One man says. give the cows plenty
OF fresh mir and exercise and ,ouclicn
their constitutions 30 they roam over
the prairie and brave the storm and
MI UP ON Ice water and get tough ani
hardy.
another says. the COW must bc kept
comfortable and never know ihat such
u thing ns winter storms exist. and 4"
such mn extent IL this carried that in
some places cows nrc kept In close.
dark. damp Easements. month after
month. and their only exercise consists
In chewing their cud.
One man tries tn Increase Ills profit
by increasing his production: another
attempts 10 reach the same end by de-
crcnsing his expense account.
one man think. that the secret Of
success Il found In some certain breed:
another IL just MS SURF that some other
breed will enable him to attain the end
desired: and the beauty OF nil the va
rious schemes and methods tried Is
that the advocates Of each and every
one OF them claim profit.
Tile only possible profit that can he
considered In the keeping OF a dairy
cow Is the value of her products over
and above the cost OF producing them.
The question Inns been often raised and
much discussed whether In considering: !:
the profit derived from n cow the ne,
profit or the percentage of profit
should claim prc.cminrncc. and as I
personally incline to the opinion that
the percentage OF profit il the greatest
factor to he considered. that view OF
the question will be maintained In
these remarks.
The cost OF keeping cow IL deter
mined by each cow owner by him
self and by the circumstances In which
he IL placed: and the value of her prod.
ucts arr also determined Though not To
as great an extent In the same man
ncr.
The problem il to receive the larges,
return for the nmo,oit expended.
Such being admitted. let US ask our
selves, what is the controlling factor
in determining the margin between cS.
pcnsc and rccciptsi
II had been asked this question NJ
one time I would have said without
any hesitation. feed. Later OH. when
! had either learned more or maybe un.
learned more. l would have said. breed.
At present. according to the best
light and knowledge that have
l would say. neither. Nor would say
both. For while I recognize the impor-
inncc OF feed. breed and environment.
there is something that. to my mind.
ranks above these. and that IN the indi.
viduality of the COW.
If | should go to horscman and ask
him what ration to feed horse to
enable him 10 trot mile in three min
utes, and also what to feed the same
horse to enable him to trot mile in
two minutes. he would probably think
! was fool. and yet n subscriber TO
n leading dairy paper wrote to the edi-
tor asking him 10 formulate n ration to
cause his cows to give thirty pounds OF
milk per day and also to formulate an.
other ration to cause them to give
forty pounds of milk per day.
don't know what the editor thought.
but he was obliged to confess his in.
ability to do anything of the kind.
Tint man regarded COW in the
same light that he would steam en-
rtnc. by which n certain amount OF
heat. which could he measured. applied
to certain amount of water. which
could also he measured. would produce
power. the amount of which could he
determined in advance.
But n cow is not built that way. Two
cows may stand side by side. day after
day. they may receive the same feed,
the same care: they may look alike and
may seem alike in dispositions: they
may even be full sisters. and yet one
may be profit producer and the other
may he the cause of loss sustained.
Some of the daughters OF some
world-famous cows have been total
failures and have nothing valuable
about them but "A pedigree, and on the