Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1917-05-18
CHEAP FOOD AND
THE DAIRY COW

While the dairymen cry of losses,
tho fact remains that the COW is in
creasing in value and numbers in our
country. The crop reporters OF the
Department of Agriculture estimate
that we have 22.76S,000 milk cows
in the United States. This is APP
| praNimately one COW for each family.
As food producing animals, the
COW ranks first, the hog second, poul-
try third, and steer and sheep last OF
all. A 1200-pound steer ready for
market contains only about $50
/ pounds of actual food. A fair dairy
COW at two years of age begins to
yield a daily average for 10 months
of about "A pounds of four per cent
milk or its equivalent. or about 900
| pounds of edible nutrients in the
year and continues to produce the
same amount for seven years there
after. In all she produces during
her actual life about $500 pounds
of the best of human food. Remem-
Der these figures do not refer to milk
but to the actual solids-the food
contained in the raw product
Beef requires several years of feed
ing, while the dairy COW gives to us
in palatable form. day by day, the
food consumed during the previous
night.
Milk is a natural food. 1t has been
found by specialists of our federal
Department of Agriculture that in
energy giving power, one quart of
milk is equal to 4 ounces of sirloin
steak, or "a pounds of round steak,
or s y eggs, or 1917 ounces of fowl.
These figures show that milk at 1OI
cents per quart would be a cheaper
food than lean meat at 20 cents per
pound. Even should it sell at Is
cents per quart, it would still be a
cheap source of energy as compared
with the sirloin steak and eggs.
When we consider the digestibility of
the foods, it will readily be conceded
that milk ranks first of all
While some may consider dairy
products as luxuries. we find that
milk is a necessity for the infant and
invalid. and whether used as fresh
milk, buttermilk, butter, the various
brands of cheese, CONNECTIONS, ices
and matted drinks, or used in cook
ing, it is a standard staple article of
food for the adult. We should bear
in mind that dairy products are vast
ed least of all of our food.
We have reason to become alarmed
over further depletion of dairy
cows in the country. AS the price of
beef and the cost of producing milk
continue to go up, and farm labor be-
comes scarce, there is a tendency for
the farmer to dispose of the cows to
the butcher. This simply means
numbers of these valuable animals.
What do these figures mean to us
Simply this: we who are situated in
a locality where vacant land may be-
used for grazing purposes should en-
deayor to keep a COW. We can dem
onstrate our thrift by doing this. If
the householder has a garden, which
he should have, the value of the ma
nure will repay him for the atten-
ton given to the animal The
thrifty Danish farmer figures the
value of the calf and manure to bal
ance the value of the time outlay
necessary to keep the COW.
The dairy business is the most
rigid and aXacting of all farm activ-
tiles. Very few dairymen who have
hired labor have made any money
in recent years. 1t is true that one
third of the milking cows do not
produce enough at present prices of
milk to be profitable to the owner
AS a business proposition, we urge
the dairyman to test his cows and
sell the boarders to the butcher, but
if all dairymen should do this. we
would face milk famine that would
be a calamity.
The housewives now talking of a
boycott on milk because of its high
prices had better investigate the cost
of production and the food value of
milk. If they would buy a COW and
keep it for a year, it might be good