124 AGRICULTURAL APPROPRIATION BILL, 1924. 



three times a day and milkinfr her three times a day, and. in case her 

 production is ahove 7o pounds a day, milkin<; her four times a day. 



Mr. Anderson. How does tlie added production compare with the 

 increased cost of maintenance on the advanced recfistry basis? 



Doctor Larson. We are studying each of these steps to determine 

 the amount of increase, as well as the net cost. We have gone far 

 enough to say that in the East, where straw is relatively expensive, 

 the additional bedding required in the box stall and the labor in- 

 volved in putting it there and taking it away just about balances 

 for the increased production. The box stall, therefore, is not an 

 economical proposition with us in the East. 



With feed under the condition of prices that prevails in Maryland, 

 where we have this farm, and with the price of milk obtaining here 

 in the East, it is profitable to feed the additional feed that was given 

 under the advanced registry over general farm conditions. We com- 

 pared those figures, however, with conditions in one of the western 

 farms, and it was not economical, because the additional milk did not 

 pay for the additional feed used. So that the feed proposition de- 

 pends upon the price of feed and the market, and there are all gra- 

 dations down, depending upon the price of milk an<l feed. 



In a similar manner we are studying the various other problems of 

 management. 



Mr. Anderson. That seems to me rather out of line; an increased 

 production of 60 per cent, it seems to me, ought to pay for a good 

 deal of additional feed, unless the cow was starved to death first. 



Doctor Larson. It does pay for a good deal of feed. 



Mr. Anderson. I can not see, if the additional feed produces 60 

 per cent, that you would not make any money on the initial produc- 

 tion of the cow. 



Doctor Larson. It is not only the feed that is necessary to get the 

 60 per cent; I said, the box stall, the milking three times, and some- 

 times four times a day, and feeding three times a day. In the case 

 of milking we found that with cows producing a fairly good amount 

 of milk, there was considerable profit in milking three times a dav 

 over two times. The increase in milk paid for the additional work 

 and left some balance. 



Mr. Anderson. In determining these costs, how do you get at 

 them, all on the basis of paid labor? 



Doctor Larson. Oh, yes. 



Mr. Anderson. It would not necessarily follow that the farmer 

 who was running his own farm and not employing labor, could not 

 use a little extra energy and milk his cow three times a day and use 

 the extra feed required to increase producticm ? 



Doctor Larson. No; but these results are stated in terms of unit 

 requirements; in other words, so many hours or minutes of labor dur- 

 ing tlie mouth, and the farmer can decitU' for liitnself whether or not 

 he will do that for 10 cents an hour or lo cents an hour or 20, de- 

 pending uj)()ii tlie prices he would have to work foi* in order to get 

 this return. The same is true of feed. That is given in terms of 

 imits and not dollars, so that he can convert to his own coiuiitions. 



Mr. Andkk.so.v. There is a good tieal of possibility of being misleil 

 in this matter? 



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