Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-11-09
.NE,GHRoR SEEKS TO
PROVE GUlDAGER'S
FIGURES INCORRECT


Gently of story quoting figures from
I. Guldager, well-known Cedar Fails
farmer to show that he realized
larger percentage of profit from his
investment in ow-priced grade COWS
than the average dairy farmer does
from an investment in high-priced pure
bred dairy cows, has brought forth
figures from one Of his nelghbors to
show that Guldagers financial reckon
ing is wrong.
This neighbor OF Guldager's is Thorn
as Hansen. secretary OF the Benson
Cow Testing Association. Of which Gull
dagger is member, and he has the rec
ords Of all the herds to quote from.
However, he takes his own herd Of pure
bred Holsteins and compares their rec
ords with Guldager's grade Shorthorns
to show that the higher-prieed cows
are the more profitable, even tho they
consume twice as much feed as the
cheap grade COW.
Hansen holds that farmers keep COWS
thru which to market their farm crops
to more advantage, and that the more
feed a cow consumes the better the
COW. providing she pays above the
market price for her feed.
Here is the way Hansen punctures
Guldager's line Of reasoning as Well as
his figures for herd production during
a year:
After reading the story about my
old friend Guldager's test association
records and his financial reckoning as
to the profit made from a herd OF
grade Shorthorns as compared to
herd Of pure bred Holsteins, / have
come to the conclusion that Gusdager
reasoning is faulty. I think we can all
agree that we keep cows in order to
market our farm crops thru them at
a better price than we would get by
selling it direct off the farm. ] have
always reasoned that the more feed a
cow consumes, the better the COW is,
providing she pays above the market
price for it. In order to prove my
point will take the liberty OF compar-
ing my herds record with Guldagers
herd record.
Last year I ran eleven cows thru
the entire testing period and one two
year-old heifer for five months. The
twelve gave 1850 pounds Of milk,
producing 4,7o4 pounds OF butter fat
valued at s2.051.51. The total cost OF
feed for the twelve was s695.74, leav-
ing a profit of s1,355.17. or s2.s5 for
every dollars worth of feed consumed
BY the cows Now I am just foolish
enough to think that If a cow pays
s295 for every dollars worth OF feed
she consumes, that 1t pays to get as
), n
The average production was 11.434
pounds Of milk with 400 pounds OF
butter fat selling at s17S.37. The aver
age feed lb4N was 5000, leaving a profit
Of s117.sS a COW on the fbutter tat pro-
duced.
'The average production OF Gull
dagers grade Shorthorns was 1870
pounds of milk as against 11,404
pounds Of milk in favor of the Hoi-
stein. The Ames experiment station
claims. I believe. that 100 pounds OF
skim milk Is worth as much as a buShel
of corn II fed to pigs in connection
with corn. According TO that and at
the present price Of corn, the extra
milk got from the Holstein would be
with s65. Adding this sum to the
butter fat profit would bring the total
profit per cow up to S1s2.ss on feed
bill OF s6049 to compare with Gull
dagers average of $3.50 profit on a
feed bill Of $25.s2.
"As to the difference in the price OF
the cows used in these records and the
interest On the cost Of the investment:
We must remember that a yearfns
calf from a high record Ho1stein Is
low at SIPS, while yearEng CALI from
a low record Shorthorn would be high
at $50 believe all will agree that the
difference Of SIS In the price OF the
calf would be very good interest on an
investment OF $300--the amount spoken
Of by Gufdager as the price Of a pure
bred cow.
81 agree with Guldager when he
says that proper feeding and careful
testing must be applied to any herd
to make it profitable. But man must
pay attention to the Individual records
Of his cows and get the lowest ones
sold off so as to raise his herd aver
age from year to year"