GROWTH AND FATTENING 



91 



steady increase in the number of dairy cattle in this country. Where 

 only the cheese or butter produced from milk is used for human food, 

 the acreage yield is correspondingly reduced. 



Human food from an acre of staple farm products 



Next to the dairy cow in acre returns comes the hog, which yields 672.9 

 therms of energy in the pork produced on an acre. Far below the hog in 

 economy of production come poultry, beef cattle, and sheep. 



Among the food crops, corn excels in yield of energy, producing 3,124.2 

 therms per acre. Wheat, rice, and oats fall far below corn in the 

 economy with which they furnish both protein and energy. Tho 

 ranking relatively low as a producer of energy, soybeans lead all the 

 crops in yield of protein per acre. 



In comparing the yields of the various classes of live stock and in 

 studying the relative returns from the food crops consumed directly as 

 human food and from the farm animals, it should be borne in mind that 

 beef cattle and sheep can be maintained largely, except for the fattening 

 period, on cheap roughages, such as corn stover, straw, stubble-field 

 pasturage, etc., much of which would otherwise be wasted. (2) Tho 

 dairy cows require considerable concentrates, they can dispose of much 

 roughage, even some of relatively low value, such as stover and straw. 

 The farm flock of poultry can secure much of its feed from kitchen 

 scraps, insects, and farm waste in general. Furthermore, in studying 

 data of this character one must bear in mind the relative expense for 

 labor and other items with the various classes of stock. For instance, 

 more labor is required for each dollar's worth of product in the case of 

 dairy cattle than with beef cattle, sheep, or swine. These estimates 



