FARMING NOTES.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XLIII, Issue 2337, 27 January 1913, Page 2

FARMING NOTES.

THE COST OF MICK PRODUCTION

j A Kentish dairy farmer has cora- : piled the following statistics of the i past year’s work on his dairy farm, which will no doubt be of interest to those who are engaged in the same branch of farming in this country. The correspondent,, :n sending the figures to a well-known English agricultural paper, adds : —lt has been my custom for the last few years to keep a most careful account of all food rations. 1 have have every item in the ration carefully measured and weighed dally, so that I am in a position to know exactly what the cost of production is. My statistics for the past season, are based on the following prices ; Hay, 50/- ; cake, £8 ; oats, etc., £7 roots, .13/- ; grains, 25/- per ton cabbages, £S ; green maize, £(> ; grass, 15/- per acre Cost per Gallon. Winter months Concentrated foods ... 2-3 d. per gal. Hay 2-3. j Ale grains 2-3 d. " j Crass 7-8. ” I Cabl ages 3-S. ” Tofal cost per gallon, from October | Ist to March 3tst : —Food, 41 d i labour, 3-ld-l total, 7.1 d. | Summer Months ; | Concentrated foods ... 2-3 d. per gal. i Hay 2-3 d. I Ale grains 2-3 d. ” I Ora s 7-Bd. " Cabbages 3-Bd. ” Total cost, per gallon, from April Ist to September 30th ; —Food, 3*d ; labour and carting, 3Jd.; total, 6-id. ! N.H. —Fifty tons of cabbages and grains included in above figures would not have been required in a normal season. j Other statistics of interest ; i Average yield per cow, 838 gallons; average weight of food consumed daily, Mlb.; average milk produced daily, 17i1i)., or 1;* gallons - average milk produced daily (if dry period excluded), 2011)., or 2 gallons flaily. Dry period, eight weeks. Cost of same, 25/8 per head. Covered by sale of calves. 1 am fully aware that above ration--; are below the usual quantities given by oilier farmers, but 1 am satisfied that if more food were given, concentrated or not. the milk yield would not be increased in pi oporticn to cost.