THE DAIRY COW.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2943, 26 May 1891, Page 2

THE DAIRY COW.

To Tllli liiJlTOIl. Sir, — 1 have been waiting to seo if some una would take up the other Hide of her. Now Mr Reynolds has had his say of the Rood thing, then goes to America for his |ii»per, is his experience so hid that ho is afraid to give it. Captain Rtinciinau after abasing different breeds follows Mr Reynolds to Amerija for all ha has to say. Again Mr Hicks pronounces the dairy business a glorious thing while Mr J. Forrest goes to the other exteme. Xext we take Mr C. Day, who speaks of his dairy cows as his profitable pets, and states that he and Mr Kuncinian have had 35 years experience in dairying, if so, Mr Editor, how is it they have not retired hefote this Xow we will try to see how Mr Runciinan proves that his not return per season for milk is per head, then ho allows £2 for sundries which brings his average to .CD per head. We will take a dairy of 20 cows for convenience. It will take one man to milk the cows and deliver the milk at factory. Theu the keep of the cows at Is per head per year, factory tins, horse trap and harness. Returns from 20 cows at £(i, £120; man's wages, £1 per week; board and lodgings, 10s — for 3.1 weeks, £52 10s ; grazing for cows at Is per head for 52 weeks, £">2 : value of 20 cows at £1 per head, £S0 ; interost, 1\ per cent, £li; reduction in value of cows, as per head per ye:ir, £~>; three factory tins, at £1 10s each, £4 10s; horse, £5; trap and harness, tllli ; take per cent interest on £25 10s, £1 18s 3d ; koep of horse per year, £2 10s; hire for hull for two months, £1 total, £120 ISs 3d. I hive made no allowance for accidents—such as the death of a cow, or one failing to come in, or to go wrong from other causes, so that she has to he sold as n grnzcr and replaced with another—or for wear and tear on plant, or repairs, or shoes fin' horse. Mr lvlifc ir, if Mr Uunciinaii or r.nyone else can show me where there is a profit to be made I am open to conviction. J was milking in my father's dairy for four years, where we milked nbout SO cows in the summed 1 and about 35 in the winter, and in the year 1S8!> we delivered between thirty-eight and thirty-nine thousmd gallons of milk at the factory. Xow, I am not particular to which breed a cow belongs as long as she is a good one.—l run, &c., A Cowboy.