The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1921-05-05

20 lbs. corn at $4,000 ......... AZ
ITO lbs. hay at $500 ................ 1.37
3 hours of labor ................ 1.50
Cost of production .....................$ 3.76
Condenser price ............................ 2.35
Butter and skim milk ... 2.37
Cheese and whey ...................... 3.15
SILT
Divided by four, gives the price to
be paid for milk ..................-......$2.9O
This cut in the price of milk may
or may not, be reflected in the retail
price of milk to the city consumer,
but it certainly brings instant re-
Election in the losses being suffered
by the producer This loss is heav-
Ter on the large dairyman than on
the man with four or five or more
cows usually is able to take advan
tage of the early pasture, while the
man with a big herd-if he grows his
own feed, or part of it-has to use
his pasture for other purposes than
to run his COWS in. 1t takes a lot
of acreage to have pasEire for big
herd and space to grow hay, silage,
etc.
In the case of the King County
farm at Willows, east of Lake wash
ington-76 cows are being MIXED.
During January February and March
the herd produced 16,s05 gallons OF
milk, or approximately 10000
pounds. The price has varied good
deaf I'm the three months. but hs
ured at an average of $3.50 this milk
would be worth $224O.
During that time $171s.03 worth OF
alfalfa hay has been bought for the
stock and besides that they have
been fed about 43 tons OF ground
oats, which were produced on the
farm and would be worth about
$3.50 at $50 ton. With this feed
the cows have had about $50 worth
of oil meal. Mixers and barn men s
wages in the three months nave
been $500. This makes total OF
$533s.O3 to balance against the $2@io
worth of milk and the total does not
include any interest on the invest
ment. insurance, depreciation, veter-
mary expense, herd loss, electric
lights and power, or managers SAL
ary-let alone profit on the invest
ment.
In the case of C. H. Nelson, who
has 35.acre ranch between Kirkland
and Bothell, he is milking 25 cows
and producing 20 gallons a day, or
between 500 and 600 pounds. he
has been feeding 35 pounds OF roush-
age a day-some Of the time part 81
lage and part hay and now that ms
silage is gone, all hay-together Win
eight pounds of ground oats or NH
run with bran. He also feeds a little
oil meal.
This feed would be worth 50 cents
day for hay and "a cents DAY
for grain per COW, or practicaiiy
COO 40 a day. He hires a barn man
at $500 a day. This makes a 'o.ai
of $1,000 a day actual expense 10,
ohout $500 worth of milk-ngurea
on the 80 60 basis, but the milk MT.
Ne,son is selling is worth more imam
60 60 because his herd Is mostly
Jarseys and Guernseys and runs pet
tor than 4 per cent butter fat.
Pint even at that this $24.O0 does
not include any salary for Mr.. Mel
con or about 81 day interest on
his $685. 900 property, or his $ooo d
wear taxes. or $50 year insurance
or $16O a year depreciation, OF sSoo
wear herd loss, or any OF the other
numerous items that infiict theih'
selves on dairyman.
man who is retailing his own
milk can make expenses, accoruihs
tn Mr.. Nelson, but the man VINO mas
IN sell his milk to another retainer
10 hound to go behind. The other
retailer has to buy the milk cheap
enough to have a profit over the
losses of surplus milk, bad accounts
delivery wagon accidents, and so on
Freights have been felt by proou.
GERS that on hay having increased
from 1925 to $4.25 ton from De
attic to points east of Lake Washing
TON and the handling from the sta
ton to the farm from Sl.2' 10 @i.'o
Wages is another important factor
in the milk cost.
Selling milk to another retainer
has its griefs. Rumors OF prouu.ei
NOT getting a proper return LOT thei'
butter fat are easy to PICK w
omong the small dairymen, who claim