Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-12-03

4 fact that he is provided with house,
/ wood and often light, water and milk.
| To care for a herd of 40 cows VIII
| require the services Of at least two
| cessive cost of delivery to be con-
| tended with at the present time
| The wages of the driver of a milk
wagon have doubled. Ice has gone
up very materially i'm price. This
! is also true of washing and cleans
ing materials, bottles CLOTHS, brush
es and containers of every descrlp-
ton. Coal costs twice as much as it
previously did, or if wood is used
| the same condition applies.
The rates for water in the vicin-
| ity of towns and cities have in ma y
instances been increased. Electric
light and power cost more If gas
engines be used, it is the same sto-
~. 1t is safe to say that every
character of material which the dali
ryman has to purchase and use, from
the mule that hauls the milk wagon
down to the bottle cap, has at least
doubled in price, and IN some In
stances the cost has increased by as
much as 200 to 900 per cent. Under
these conditions, is it surprising
that milk should have increased TO
a considerable extent? / think not,
and as a matter of fact If all the
costs entering into its production
be taken into consideration and any
thing like fair value be put on its
nutritiVe qualities, / believe it still
remains one of the cheapest and most
desirable of ofod products. There is
nothing which the housewife pur-
chases in which there Should be as
little waste as in the case of milk.
1t is all suitable for food and every
bit of it is consumed. 1t is also cas-
lily digested and assimilated. Think
for a moment of how 1t compares in
these respects with meat. Take eth
err beef or pork as an example.
There is a good deal OF waste in the
fat; there is the bone which amounts
to a very considerable item. 1t is
true these products have some value
but after all they represent con-
siderable part If the cost of meat and
are waste products in a measurable
degree.
Let us see, for instance, now what
it will cost to feed a 1airly good
type of dairy cow per day and the
return which may be expected from
the milk she will produce. The av-
erage dairy COW in the south viii
not yield more than gallon and a
half of milk per day. To do this she
will have to be well fed and cared
for; better, in fact, than the aver
age If she is fed s pounds of meal
consisting OF 4 pounds cottonseed
meal and 4 pounds velvet bean meal,
the average cow will cost about 1876
cents per day. If she is fed the nor
NAL ration of 5ilage for good av-
erage COW. the cost, including vast
gee will be approximately Is cents.
If she is fed not more than 10 pounds
OF hay or other roughage, at a cost
rot exceeding l 1-2 cents per pound,
the outlay for forage will be 10
cents. This makes the cost or feed
Tor an average COW per day at
AF and
u.r that this is the cheapest ration
which it is possible to feed. These
i.gureS are based on cash prices at
Wholesale. If the smaller dairyman
or the man with a limited amount
OF money at his command has 10
purchase on a credit Easis, it will
ne safe to add at least 10 per cent
% his cost. In some instances the
figure will run considerably hlgher.
In the foregoing no allowance has
been made for rent depreciation, SUI
paryision or labor, nor has any cost
cen provided for cows which are
formally dry from 30 to 90 days dur
..g the twelve months. 1t is also
tttessary to keep at least one sire
IL to raise a number of young
salVcS in order to MAINTAIN the Ell
.4rieucy of the herd. These are ad-
more rapidly than the average indi-
Nidual who is unacquainted with the
practical operations of a dairy be-
..eVeS to be possible. There are some
who will argue that the farmer pro-
Huces a considerable amount of the
feed he gives to his cows at home
aud that ii does not cost him as
much as purchased feed. 1t is absurd
TO argue from this point of view, Tor
II the farmer cannot obtain the mar
ket price for the foods ne produces
then he should go out of the dairy
business and leave the urban resi-
dent without milk. 1t would be fool
ish for him to go to the labor ana
expense of maintaining cows ana
feeding the crops he produces 10
them at a less aggregate return than
they would bring him if sold in the
open market. We are of the opinion
under the circumstances, therefore,
that the cost of maintaining dairy
cow under existing conditions Is not
far, say, from soc a day, and this
we believe to be a very conservative
estimate.
Let us see now what the product
OF the cow is worth. On the forego-
ing basis, the cost of a gallon OF
milk is approximately SIC. The de-
livery charges will amount to about
ISc. The labor will add a minimum
of at least &c more, incidentals &c,
or a total of &c per gallon. If the
milk retails at 1Sc quart. If the
bring 72c per. gallon. which alloys Tvs
the producer 10c. If II sells at zoe
a quart, 1t will bring the producer
1Sc profit per gallon, from which
must be deducted the various
charges mentioned above and which
up to this time have not been taken
into consideration. A dairyman oh.
tanning these prices for milk may
make a good average living and may
lay aside some money each year, but
he will not become fabulously
wealthy, as the average consumer
imagines. Milk, therefore, retailing
at the prices suggested ca1 hardly
be regarded as expensive in cost.
CONTROLLING POPS IN PEANUTS