Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-12-21

Those two cows made Curtis and
profit acquainted. They showed him
his enterprise was pointed right, that
he faced the problem OF how to get
more cows and more profit. He did
both. Just as soon as he saved up
the money he bought another COW.
More work and saving--another COW,
and 30 On until today he has brought
the number up to IL, on which he
cleared nearly $4,000 last year. On
his original investment Of $3.50 and
determination he now has altogether
around $4,000. While some of that
money represents profit on other III,
vestments, most of it came from
COWS.
Good management and hard work
lots Of it-brought Curtis success
in d~airying. Mrs. Curtis did her
share, too. She takes a bucket and
goes right along with him to milW,
and the care and milking Of IL cows
Is no easy task. The only time Cur
It's hired help was last summer, when
he had a mar for three months at
SIS a month. The work was heavy
then. az the cows were giving about
40 gallons Of milk a day.
The Figures Talk.
The profits in the summer, OF
course, are the largest for the year.
The milk yield is more and feed is
cheaper. The COWS are put out on
pasture. Twenty acres, with a little
additional feed, runs the COWS six
months. Mr.. Curtis pays 800 a year
rent for the pasture. The milk yield
from the IL cows during the warm
months is about 70 gallons a day.
This sells at from 20 to rs cents a
gallon, which is something more than
IS q day. The gross income for the
four months amounts to $1,000. The
pasture rent for that time Is $50. The
only other expense this summer was
the wages for a hand, $75. That left
a net profit for the four months of
1856.
The average milk yield for the 9th.
er eight months is rs gallons a day,
which brings in more than $3.50 a
month. The pasture will carry the
cows for two months at a cost of
$50. MI. Curtis estimates his feed
bill for the IL cows for the remain
ing six months will be about $50 a
month. That leaves an income for
the eight months Of $50. The net
total for the year Is $1,735 for the
milk.
What the Calves Bring In.
TO that must be added the value of
the calves each year. At $25 each
the IL calves viii be worth $500. OF
course, it costs something to feed
them, but over and above that ex.
pense the profit in the calves will
be about $3.50. Added to the profit
in milk Of s1,735, it will amount to
$4,000 in round numbers.
The feed bill, with most of the
work being done by Mr.. Curtis and
his wife, has been the big item Of
expenses. The pasture furnishes the
cheapest and easiest feed. The grass
costs $50 and, with very little extra
feed, will run the COWS six months.
To cary his IL COWS, 20 calves and
yearlings not yet sold, over the re-
main Of this year, Curtis has bought
IA tons of alfalfa, at $3.50 a ton,
30 tons Of clover at So a ton. Besides
that, he raised 10 acres Of corn on
rented ground. He cut the corn and
put the stalks and all through a
shredder. In that way nothing Is
wasted.
This year, owing to the drought,
The corn WAC moor On no aStimofnc
the value of the 10 acres of corn at
800. With alfalfa and clover it will
last three or four months. When that
is used up he will feed corn to his
COWS in addition to the hay. He es-
Inmates this dry feed will carry his
cows and calves over, until they can
be put on pasture.
The entire cost of the feed for the
year was: Ninety dollars for the
pasture, SITS for the alfalfa, $240 for
the clover, 800 for the shredded corn
and $40 for the corn. The total is
$675. The extra labor in the heavy
milking season cost $75, making the
expenses for the year. $3.50.
The proceeds from the milk for the
year were $4,000. The u calves are
worth $1,000 making the total output
from the cows, $4,000. Subtracting
$3.50 for expenses it leaves a net prof
it of $1,750. But the feed bill not
only covered the expense for the IL
cows, but also included the feed for
eight %yearlings, several horses and
hogs, so at least $3.50 should be taken
from tho ovponco oo1urp ~ Tho q