Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-08-21
SOUTH PARIS MAINE, TUESDAY, AUGUST a. 1917.
Connecticut Dairy Survey.

Inc average cost of producing milk
on i79 Connecticut farms during the
year ending May /, 1917, was 5.5S cents
per quart. The average price received
per quart was 4.S7 cents. These facts
are the result of careful dairy survey
OF representative farms of the state made
oy the Dairy Department of the Con
necucnt Agricultural College on repre-
sentative farms of the state. These
farms are scattered throughout the
eight counties OF the state, thirteen
farms being surveyed in the county
Wnere the fewest number Of records
were taken and thirty-five in the county
where the largest number of records
were obtained.
1t was found that the average cost per
year OF keeping a COW was SIT AS,
Suotracting a credit of $22 81 for re.
turns except milk leaves the cost of the
years milk production S15457.
This cost includes feed, bedding, Ia
Dor, use Of buildings and equipment,
interest on Investment, bull service, and
depreciation. Nothing was allowed the
owner in payment for managing the
The report shows that the average
production for these farms was 5000
lbs. of milk per COW.
In regard to the present status of the
dairy business the report reads as fol.
lows: "There are many hypothesis
possible in the study of these figures.
but the single fact remaining is that
dairying on these farms the past year
has been an unsound business PROPOSE
ton.
"It Is obviously true that this con-
dition will not markedly deplete our
dairy farms in three, six, or possibly
many months, but 1t is positively GER
tain that such conditions will eventually
undermine the farming business as q
whole II dairying Is continued, follow.
ing as it does series of close margins.
The practical man eventually changes
his type of farming, and rapidly, when
the loss in one line of the industry
pictures bankruptcy to him."
Separate figures were taken on these
farms for the month of April, 1917
The report shows that the cost OF pro-
ducing milk during this month was 6.24
cents per quart. This milk was sold for
an average of 5.66 cents per quart. 1t
will be noted that these figures show an
increased cost for April, over the cost
for the twelve months in which April
was included, OF 1916 per cent.
DAIRY CENSUS.
At the time the dairy survey was be-
gun, dairy census was taken to deter.
mine II possible whether or not the
number of cows in the state is increasing
or decreasing.
Three thousand cards were mailed to
the dairymen of the state asking four
questions, as follows:
/. How many COWS of milking age
did you have In your herd May /, 1916?
How many heifers over months of age
did you have in your herd May 1, 1916?
2. How many cows, as above, in your
herd May 1, 19179
8. How many heifers as above did
you have May l, 1917?
4. In your opinion are there more or
less cows in your neighborhood this
year than last?
Over /, Alp replies were obtained from
dairymen in answer to these cards. A
total of 19, 991 dairy cattle were on these
farms May I, 1916, while 1878 were
owned there May 1, 1917. These figures
show a decrease of 1.19 per cent in dairy
cattle in the state during the past year.
OF the dairy cattle in the state May 1,
1916, 70.7 per cent were of milking age,
while May 1, 1917, the per cent OF milk
ing animals was 6S.S.-Connecticut
Agricultural College.