EQUIPMENT OF THE AVEEAGE FARM, 43 



age of 8.98 years. On farms 20 to 23, inclusive, in the ''hill section," 

 17 work animals, averaging almost exactly 7 years in age, and 1,170 

 pounds in weight, were valued at $146.41 each. These 4 farms aver- 

 age 186.79 acres in size, but average only 65.4 acres in crops, or 15.4 

 acres per animal. On 52 farms, including those of cooperators, 275 

 work horses were kept, averaging 1,306 pounds in weight. 



The work stock, like machinery, is seldom utilized to its full capac- 

 ity on small farms or where conditions cut down the crop area. The 

 number of work animals needed depends not only on the acreage of 

 crops, but upon the total area of the farm, the kind and extent of 

 live-stock enterprises, the kind of crops, the topography, the dis- 

 tance of the farm from town, and numerous other factors which can 

 not be studied m detail at this time. On most farms the number of 

 work animals is determined by the minimum power requirements 

 during the two busiest seasons— seed time and harvest time. 



CATTLE. 



The values for cattle on this grou]) of 21 farms in the spring of 1909 

 are approximated in the column of "Value per unit" (Table XIII). 

 These will of course fluctuate with the market, and round numbers 

 (based on averages, except as otherwise stated) are used for con- 

 venience. The value of $100 has been arbitrarily set as fair for a 

 good bull of either a beef or dairy type, and $40 has been taken as 

 nearer the usual value of a beef cow than the actual average on two 

 farms reporting. On one of these farms 14 Shortliorn cows were 

 valued at $100 or more each, and on the other 4 grade cows were 

 valued at $35 each. Steers were figured on the prices of 4 to 4^ cents 

 prevailing at that time, and young beef stock at about the average 

 value per head. 



On farms 1, 2, 6, 9, 21, and 23, on which dahying is the principal 

 enterprise, 95 milch cows were kept, averaging $40.80 per head. 

 These included some pure-bred cows. On 10 other farms there were 

 29 milch cows, averaging $37.72 per head. The average value of 

 124 cows on 16 farms was $40.18 per head. The 6 dairy farms aver- 

 aged $648 w^orth of milch cows per farm, and the 10 other farms 

 $109.40 per farm. On the 6 dahy farms there were 44 head of young 

 stock, or nearly 1 head for each 2 milch cows. The figure for the 

 value of young stock is close to the average for all calves and heifers 

 found on these farms. 



SHEEP. 



The value of $10 per ram is a trifle higher than would be true of 

 many farms, owing to the presence on farm 17 of a number of rams 

 which were raised for sale as breeding animals at $12.50 each. The 



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