The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-06-08
farmer PAYS TO
!. PRODUCE QUART
MILK 8 IL CENTS

ard H. Healey was directed to prepare
an article in reply to certain mislead-
ing statements in recent publications
as to the cost of. milk production. The
following is Mr.. Healey's statement: :
For several years the dairymen of
the state of Connecticut have been
trying to impress upon the consumer
the value of milk as a food and the
cost of this milk to the farmer. Only
in recent years has rise in the price
of milk not ctrtaiIed it's consumption
and even in this period this has only
been partially true. Through circuit
cation, institute work, etc, the Con-
necticut dairymen have put over a
campaign of education whereby the
consumer has been enlightened to a
great degree as to its value and it's
cost to the farmer. For years the
farmers have produced milk at price
which did not warrant their contin-
uance in the dairy business, but
knowing that the retention of dairy
cows meant the success of future Con-
necticut agriculture, they have con-
tinued in their labors, hoping that
some time in the future they would
be able to receive price that would
be at least satisfactory from a bust
ness standpoint.
Through the efforts of the dairy de-
partment of our Agricultural College,
the Connecticut Dairymen's Associa-
ton, the Connecticut Milk Producers
Association and the State board of ag-
ricu1ture, a great deal of work has
been done both with the farmer by
instructing him in the problems re-
lating to low cost production of milk
and with the consumer in urging
them to use more milk and be willing
to pay for the same a fair price for
it's food nutrients when compared with
the price of other food products.
Recently some of those engaged in
agricultural extension work have
made it their first aim to demonstrate
to certain farmers that milk could be
produced at very low cost. 1t
| is surely worth while to encourage
| and assist the farmer in the econom-
ical feeding of dairy animals, but we
should all be careful not to use these
| few test records as an example to the
farmer or the consumer as to what
milk can be produced for on the av-
erage farm in the state of Connect
cut, and we should also be very care
full in using market prices of the
labor and materials which enter into
| the cost price thus obtained. If il
were true that the. farmers of oul
state or any other state could produce
milk for 5000 per quart and it wa!
being sold othe consumer at a price
ranging from $.12 to SIS, the con
sumner could rightly feel that the far
mer was getting more than his share
of profit.
At a recent meeting of the board o.
agriculture exceptions were taken tt
the article which appeared in the
New England Homestead" of Apri
20 under the heading What Doe.
Milk Production Cost?" and the sec
rotary was directed to prepare an ar
ticle in reply, the members feeling
that it was not fair to put the in
formation contained in the article be
fore the consumer without some mod
ifications.
If twenty-five cows produce an av
erage of 5000 pounds of milk per GOV
per year, a total production of 125, O0'
pounds of milk would be produced
which reduced to quarts would b,
$3.50 quarts and would cost $.094 pc
quart. If 5000 pounds per COW pc
year was produced, it would mean
total production of 10000 quarts ant
would cost $.O782 per quart. TIL
latter average of 5000 pounds is con
siderably above the average produc
ton of the cows of the state. w
find by comparison that these figure
are nearly identical with those give
US by some of our leading dairymer
Labor is reckoned at % cents pc
hour. This was obtained by estimat
ing the wages of a hired man suitabl
for such work at $1,000 per yea
which would include board. We esti
mated that the man would wor,
twelve hours per day, beginning at
o'clock in the morning and stoppin
at o'clock at night, with one hou
off at noon. At three-quarters of a
hour per COW per day it would be a
itemized in schedule.
We have allowed one hour per da
for carriage of milk to station or mar
ket. In IS per cent. of our dairie
this would not be enough. In
} large number of the diaries the mil
is picked up by a man who carts tn
milk in that section to the station
The average price is one-ha1f cent
quart, which would make the cart
age for the year of 5000 pound COY
$11.70.
We have estimated that COW pro
ducing 5000 pounds of milk pc
year could not be purchased for les
than SIPS, which is an under est
mate as the market has been durin
} the past winter. The interest o
| money invested, therefore, would b
as per schedule for that item. Insur
ance on COW and taxes on COW an
: stable do not need to be remarke
upon. Depreciation of COW is foun
by taking SIPS as the cost of the Gov
allowing SIS as the price which wi
be received for her at the end of he
period Of usefulness, which woul
leave $50 depreciation. We have a,
lowed six years as the period of use
: fulness, which is more than the usus
time limit as the average goes. TIL
average price for barn rent is OF
tanned by allowing $4,000 as the co.
of the barn, which is a very low prio
for barn accommodations housin
: twenty-five cows. A modern barn t
meet the requirements of such
dairy and sufficiently large to hol
the day and other roughage at tt
present time, would cost much MOI
than this but we have deducted frol
: the present cost of the barn a suf1
IS cient sum to take care of the housir
e rnnrrn for t1,o ool,rnS which l1s11all,, c