The Delta independent., 1902-09-05
wha, I. . Ten of A,r.,,. w.rsss|

what IL = Ten of Alfalfa WOFs69f
Many dairymen would like TO kHpw
the value OF ton Of alfalfa expressed In
butter fat A practical man near I'm
yer has grade Jersey COW which Ui<ss
forty pounds of milk q day aud mb7ph
tests 6.1 per cent buttor fat or ADA
pounds OF butter fat in day. In th5fty
days the amount of butter fat am0pet
to 6l.2 pounds. This at twenty cent? .
pound is worth Sl224. The thirty I've
pounds OF skim mmed milk remaining afler
the butter fat has boon extracted aleo
has value for feeding purposes. vl,fn
given in proper proportions with otflEr
rations; OF twenty cents Tor 100 pounds
The COW gives in thirty days 1.0s0 pounas
of this skim milk. which at twenty cents
the hundred makes an added value OF
S2l6
This amount added to the value ~
tho butter fat makes the total value Of
this COW sl4 40 for month OF thirty
days. All the COW had to eat during
the thirty days test was thirty pounds
OF good alfalfa hay daily. or 900 pounls
in thirty days. In other words. the So
pounds OF alfalfa fed to tho COW in thft-
ty days was so transformed by tho q
chemy OF the cows lacteal machinery q
TO be worth sl44O. 1t is proper 10 de-
duct from this sum total the cost Of
milking and caring for the COW. A first
class mixer will milk and care for thirty
cows and his services will be worth so
and board, which We can put at $40. o.
$40 for thirty cows, making proportsot
ately 81 80 for one COW.
A further deduction may be mads fcr
carrying tho milk to and from the cream
cry Of fifty cents COW each month
making tho total expense for labor 81 S3
To be sure of covering il and TO get rid
OF disagreeable fraction. We will make
the total deduction for labor cost eI00,
leaving a balance OF Sl2J as the nes
value OF 900 pounds of hay after being
transformed by the alchemy OF the oow,
or el 50 per GENITAL. or s27 so . ton whee
fed TO that COW. II, however. the hsy
be fed 10 a COW giving half as much hut
ter fat and eating twice as much hay,
the value OF a ton Of alfalfa will bo ahout
one fourth the estimate or 1885 . tou,
but it ought 10 pay to produce it Al th6s
price. even il water Tor its irrigation hss
TO be pumped.
While the skinned milk fed in ,he 8
proper proportion with grains has for
fatteLiaa q value OF twenty cents per
cwi. let Us suppose that it has value
OF only five cents per cwt and see il al
faifa 10 not still worth growing. Tho
butter tat for the month is worth slo "A
because the creameries will pay this for
H. Add hf'y -four cents as the value OF
the ssimmed milk, at tho lowest ssti-
male that will allow Rny value for it at
all. and wo have sl2 rs as the equivalent
OF 9O0 pounds OF alfalfa hay. Deduciins
slso for labor cost aud we have sl09S
rs the net valuo of 900 pounds OF alfalfa
hay fed to good COW. or sl2l pc. cwt,
or s2i 20 a ton.
III fed TO COW that will~Hisld only
halt as much butter lat, while eating
twice as much hay, ii will s,ill be worth
e6.to ton and this is about the sort Of
q COW that the thoughtlsss man will be
milking all hisdays. The butter m a king
value OF u COW can not be ascertsiued
except by the creamery test. Oae eau
not tell by tho quantity OF cream that
will rise on the milk, for this is quss.
ton of the size OF the lat giobules aud
not OF the quantity OF butter tat in the
milk. Alfalfa alone is not exactly tho
ration dairy COW should have. She
needs little grain besides. To each
thirty five acres OF alfalfa five acres Of
Indian corn should be plantcl Irrigstn
the ground before planting, make the
rows run only one way, cultivate well
aud irrigatc again when the corn is
tasssliug, cut just beyond The roasting
ear stnge and feed stalks 6nd all This
balances the ration perfeotly.-Fi and
Farm.