52) 
the disparity is not so great as these figures indicate owing to the 
fact that a greater proportion of the total amount of milk pro- 
duced is fed to calves on produce *’ farms. 
The wide variation between these two classes of dairy farms 
makes it a matter of considerable difficulty to estimate the total 
production of the country, as any correct estimate necessarily 
depends on the proportion of “milk” farms to “ produce * 
farms. In the returns giving complete particulars of the pro- 
duction of milk 73 per cent. of the cows were on “milk > farms 
and 27 per cent. on “ produce ” farms. If this proportion were 
applied to the whole country (proportions arrived at in this way 
were so applied in 1908) the average yield per cow or heifer in 
milk or in calf would be 438 gallons, which is almost exactly 
the figure reached in 1908, and the total production of milk 
would be 1,180 million gallons against 1,029 million gallons in 
the earlier year. At the same time a large number of returns 
were received which; though not complete in all respects, indi- 
cated whether all the milk was sold as liquid milk or whether 
butter, cheese, &c., were usually made. 
A careful examination of the returns for 1925 showed that 
a far larger proportion of “milk ” farms than of “produce ” 
farms supplied complete particulars of production and disposal. 
This is not surprising, since a farmer who produces milk for sale 
only as liquid milk naturally finds it casier to give full particulars 
than one whose milk production is put to a variety of uses. Conse- 
quently, if the proportions of cows on “milk” op * produce 
farms respectively throughout the country are based solely on the 
fully completed returns, the tendency is for the production from 
the ““ milk ” farms, where yields are higher, to be appreciably 
over-weighted at the expense of production from the latter. It 
follows, therefore, that the inclusion of all returns which contain 
some indication of the method of disposal of milk on the farm 
provides a fairer indication of the proportion of cows on “ milk ”’ 
and ““ produce ’ farms throughout the country. The propor- 
tions so arrived at were 56 per cent. on “milk ’ farms and 44 
per cent. on “ produce ” farms, J 
It has been thought necessary to set out this difficulty at 
some length as it affects the calculation and is, in addition, of 
importance in showing the character of the dairying industry in 
this country, The prevalence of milk selling in many parts of 
the country is so great that many people would not think it 
surprising that 73 per cent. of the cows of the country should be 
exclusively used for the production of milk for sale, hut on the 
whole, having regard to the diversity of conditions, the number 
of calves bred, and the quantities of butter and cheese made, 
it is probable that the proportion of 56 per cent. indicated by 
the combined returns is more nearly correct. 
If, therefore, these proportions are accepted as being approxi