Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1917-07-06
CHEAP FOOD AND THE
DAIRY COW
BY f.. +. BENSON, STATE COM
MISSIONER OF AGRICULTIRE.

creasing in value and numbers in ou,
country. The crop reporters of The
Department of Agriculture estimat,
that We have 22,76S.000 milk COW
In the United States. This is approx
mately one COW for each family.
AS food producing animals. the COW
ranks first, the hog second, poultry
third, and steer and sheep last of all
A twelve hundred pound steer ready
for market contains only about three
hundred sixty pounds of actual food
A fair dairy COW at two years of age
begins to yield daily average for
ten months of about "a pounds of 4
per cent milk or it's equivalent, or
about 800 pounds Of edible nutrients
In the year and continues to produce
the same amount for seven years
thereafter. In all she produces dur
ing 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
contains in the raw product.
Beef requires several years of feed
ing while the dairy cow gives to us
in a palatable form, day by day, the
food consumed during the previous
night.
Milk Natural Food.
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 IL ounces of sir
loin steak, or "a pounds of round
steak, or n eggs, or 1917 ounces of
fowl. These figures show that milk
at 10 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 cheap source of energy as COM
pared with sirloin steak and eggs.
When we consider the digestibility of
the foods. 1t will readily be conceded
that milk ranks first of all.
While some may consider dairy
products as Injuries, 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 q standard staple article OF
food for the adult. We should bear
IN mind that dairy products are vast
ed least of all Of our foods.
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 con-
tinue to 60 up. ana farm labor be-
comes scarce, there il tendency for
the farmer to dispose Of the cows to
the butcher. This simply means that
there will be shortage in the num-
bers Of these valuable animals.
What do these figures mean to us!
Simply this: we who are situated in
= locality where vacant land may be
used for grazing purposes should en-
deavor to keep COW. We can demon
strate our thrift by doing this. II the
householder has garden, which he
should have, the value of the manure
! will repay him for the attention given
to the animal. The thrifty Danish
farmer figures the value of the calf
and manure to balance the value of
the time outlay necessary to keep
the cow.
Urges Testing Cows.
The dairy business is the most
rigid and exacting of all farm activi-
ties. 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 It present prices Of milk to
be profitable to the owner. As a bust
ness proposition. We urge the dairy
man to test his cows and sell the
boarders to the butcher. but II all
dairymen should do this, we would
face a milk famine that would be a
+
calamity.
The housewives now talking Of
boycott on milk because Of its high
prices had better Investigate the costs
OF production and the food value of
milk. II they would buy a cow and
keep It for a year. it might be good
thing for them and also for the dairy
business. A more economical dis
tribution would help everyone includ-
ing the distributors. but the price
paid the producer is not now as much
~ 1t should be. based upon the food
value and cost of production.
The dairy COW is mans greatest
friend. She produces our best, cheap
est and most serxiceable food, and
should receive serious consideration
when prices of food commodities are
fixed.
Lee Scribner and Josie Mcvey of