Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1916-11-10
MILK NETS TOO LITTLE.
Low Price and Inefficiency of Farmers
Injury to the Dairy Business-D
ing it Out Of New England.

The movement among Vermont dairy
farmers to get better prices for their
milk is obtaining Roadway in Washing
ton county. f. II. Abbott, county ag-
ricultural agent, gives up the larger
share OF his circular letter, just issued,
to the topic.
1.-The fact that the Hood company
has offered the farmers 80 cents an S1h
quart can at Boston, he says, "is am
pie proof of the justice of such demand
and recognition of the power of the
farmer, IT he will only act in coop
erative way by means of associations"
Following summary of the produc-
ton from six different herds he writes;
" Note that the average production of
the 1873 cows concerned was 1851
pounds of milk. In order to make the
production Of milk pay with such cows,
supposing we got So per cwt. for milk,
it would have been necessary to get
6,O25 pounds from each cow, or nearly
~ per cent increase. Instead, we ac-
cept $l.S5 for the milk and go on with
the same old cows, working for the
manure and milking for the fun of it.
What is the solution2 Local milk
producers associations meeting with
the purpose of studying out such items
as above. Cooperation with the milk
dealers to arrange a living price and
allow the farmer money to improve his
plant and the quality of his product.
"The farmer who is ahead of the
game or above the average should not
sit back with a contented well, / am
all right, anyway but should lend his
aid in forming associations and organ
izations that will help out the man who
is below the average il production and
profit Cooperation ande the Golden
Text will work wonders in this direc-
ton"
GA certain amount of efficiency,N
he says, "is absolutely necessary in
order to maintain the farm as q paving
proposition.
"There is plcnty of evidence of this
in the fact of so many failures, farm
ers who are selling out their diaries to
give them time to put in upon some
better paying project. The enormous
decrease in the number of dairy cows
in New England, in the past few years,
is point of evidence that cannot be
disregarded. In other words, farmers
are being driven out of the dairy bust
ness because of two main reasons.
First, because they have not received a
price for their product in keeping with
the prices on other commodities, and,
second because they have not been
paid enough attention to the methods
of improving the dairy herd and the
quantity and quality of the product.
"Recent inquiries reveal the fact
that two farmers in every hundred keep
a strict account of their farming OPP.
eratioas. About 20 in one hundred
keep partial accounts by means of in
ventories and checking accounts. In
variably it is noticed that the men who
keep these accounts are the most sue
cessful ones. The 0e who knows how
much his potatoes cost per bushel. how
much his pork costs per pound and how
much his milk costs per hundredweight
or butterfat per pound, is in a position
to improve his business to a greater eX
tent than the man who at the end of
the year knows only that he has sc
much money or so many bills to pay"
The following is the summary of re
suits from six herds:
158 cows produced S45,65 lbs. milk
Total cost of same, $l9,05l.S9.
Or, 1926 per 100 lbs.
Total acreage of farms, 1890 acres
Average acreage of each farm, POS
acres.
Total value of cows, $14,235.
Average value cows, 100000
Average distance to market, three
miles.
Average cost of hauling per 100 lbs.
$.06S.
Average labor cost, per cow, $20,55.
Average grain cost, per cow, $19.5S
Average roughage cost, per cow
$61.56.
Average interest and insurance on
buildings, per COW, 1913.
Average other items, $l0.S3.