Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-03-05


though the number is small the figures
are suggestive.
Quantity and cost per head of feed
and labor for four veal calves:
Total. Per head Cost.
Whole milk -. S04 lbs col lbs $40
Skim milk ....2,791 lbs 69S lbs 1.66
Grain ......... 224 lbs S. lbs .sS
Hay :. 49,. :. 100 lbs 30 lbs Isl
Eggs ........ 2 lbs 5.5 lbs .07i
Labor -. =. 46 hours lis hours l.s4
Total =. .s7.s4
THE four calves when sold were -
to 16 weeks old, which is a little older
than skim milk veal is commonly mar
keted. During this period the quantity
of feed consumed and hours OF labor
required and their value are presented
IN the above table. The prices used In
computing feed and labor values We're:
Whole milk, $1.70 per cwt.; skim milk.
$26 per cwt. grain. $3.50 per cwt.. and
man labor. SIS per hour.
BY examining the figures it Is seen
that almost half the total cost Is made
up of new milk, although compare
lively small quantity of this feed was
used. On this same farm the previous
year the young calves that were being
raised received 342 pounds Of new milk.
Had these calves received a like guam
tity the cost per head would have been
$10.SS. The major part of the feed used
was skim milk, but as this Is COM
paratively cheap food it's cost is not
high. The other important item maxi
Ing up the total cost was labor which
amounted to $1.S4 The total Of $79S as
shown by the table does not include
some items which must be included in
making up the complete cost Of raising
the veal.
These items are building charges.
equipment charges, interest and general
overhead expense. However the total
of these would amount to only a few
cents and for all practical purposes can
be omitted without affecting the final
results. The four calves were sold on
the market for $42. which Is an average
Of $1,000 per head. This Is a profit Of
$2.52 over the cost OF feed ant. labor AS
these calves We're the Jersey breed, they
were not especially adapted to making
into veal. The breed is small and the
calves at birth weigh much less than
the calves of the Holstein breed. At tho
same time, their feed cost is compare
lively lower It is probable that the
profit from Holstcin veal would be
larger.
ION large per cent OF dairy farms
where market milk Is tlae main product,
skim milk is not available and new milk
| must be fed. BY feeding new milk the
calves are commonly marketed at from
| six to eight weeks OF age and little
higher price may be secured, but the
higher value OF the whole milk would
increase the cost so that the amount
LETT for the profit would probably be
smaller With the present price Of veal.
either by feeding skim milk or new
milk. these data indicate that the profit
from raising veal is no large. From his
4 onh Infr D,
must decide what pra, dee he will fol-
low. The thing to remember is that new
| milk is the main factor In the cost. and
the question Of this feed consumed, to-
gether with its market value, will de-
/ termine largely whether Or not the veal
can be raised at a profit
! :! =. Drake Of tn" department of as-
rio ''tnre. has submitted for publication
. r'on"script entitled IAN Efficient
+ Farm system for the Cornbelt" The
labor difficulties of the region are set
forth. and we'll tried system is lo"t-
lined which not only distributes tn"
labor well throughout the year h"t
eliminates the greater part Of the rush
work during the crop gathering periods
by harvesting most of the crops Of live
stock, principally swine.
1t is possible on most farm to grow
a greater acreage of crops than can be
| harvested with the regular working
force. The work that the hogs are able
to do by this plan relieves the conges-
ton when outside labor is most needed
and makes it possible to handle a
greater acreage, thereby increasing the
size OF the business and the net i'm
| come
The system in itself Is simple. There
are only three crops grown. corn, rye,
and mixtuer Of clover and timothy
| These are generally run In fOur-year
rotation as follows: First year. corn
| (hogged DOWN.; second year. corn
(crop cut and rye sown third year.
| rye (pastured and hogged off; fourth
year, clover and timothy (hog pastured
and cut for hay.)
| The hogs are turned In on the rye
| field early in the spring and allowed to
pasture that crop until about the tenth
OF May. Then they are turned in on the
clover field, where they remain until
about July 18th. BY that time the rye
will have been ripe for about two weeks.
The hogs are then turned in on the ripe
rye to gather that crop and to Craze
! the young clover which has grown up
J. therein.
Six one-huhdred pound hogs will
| gather a 17-bushel- per-acre crop Of rye
in six weeks. Timed in this way, the
rye crop will be gathered by September
4 LIST. AS soon as the hogs can be brought
l
in on the first year corn and allowed to
gather that crop also. Thus three crops
Of the four are gathered by the hogs
and the fertility contained in these
crops is returned Immediately to the
| soil
! The labor conditions that prevail and
are growing still more serious will
doubtless make 1t necessary to reor-
ganize after some similar plan not only
a large number Of the farms in the corn
| belt but in other sections as we'll
| Seed corn should be tested three
weeks prior to planting time. The mid
die Of March Is not too early for the
corn belt farmer and is often time
when other duties arc not pressing
u Some think that because the winter
has been mild any good looking corn
will do to plant. It is also too often
i considered that the only necessary test
4 70. seed corn Is that 1t shall show a
reasonably high per cent Of termination
not taking ipto constd Grafton that the
seed kernel may furnish more or less
nourishment to the young corn plant as
we'll as to the germ. which itself may
have high or low vitality.
i When seed corn Is In perfect condi-