ANNUAL REPORT, 1937 7 



tion of four dairy farms in the survey. These farms were in Plymouth, Worcester, 

 Hampshire and Berkshire counties and in 1935-36 had milking herds ranging in 

 number from 22 to 27 cows. A comparison was made of the pasture program 

 and farm organization for the year before intensive pasture treatment and for 

 the year 1935-36. The herds increased in size during this period by two, three, 

 eight, and eleven cows. Milk was sold at retail on two farms and wholesale on 

 the other two. Milk production per cow increased in 1935-36 over the former 

 period on two farms and decreased on two. However, the total milk production 

 was greater in the latter year on three farms. Adjustments in the dairy enter- 

 prise which were due partially to the pasture program also brought out changes 

 in the organization of other enterprises on the farms. fe , 



The pasture program on Farm A consisted of alternating a small acreage of 

 land between hay and pasture use and maintaining high yields with heavy appli- 

 cations of fertilizer and lime. Permanent fertilized pasture was supplemented 

 by grazing from nurse crops and specially seeded annual pasture crops on Farm B. 

 Seeded and treated permanent pasture was used on Farm C, but did not supply 

 grazing for the entire season. Annual and rowen pasture are needed on this farm 

 to supply adequate grazing. Farm D had a system of permanent seeded pasture 

 which was grazed in small plots in rotation. Rowen pasture was used to supple- 

 ment this treated pasture. 



A Study of Adjustments in Dairy Farm Organization and Practices in Mass- 

 achusetts. (C. R. Creek.) This project was undertaken in May 1937 in co- 

 operation with the Bureau of Agricultural Economics of the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture to obtain basic data on farm organization, on physical and 

 financial requirements for production, and on farmers' adjustments to various 

 economic and technical changes. Another objective was to determine the relative 

 profitableness of different farm organizations and of farming in the various dairy 

 areas of the state. 



Survey records of the farm business for the year May 1, 1936, to April 30, 

 1937, were taken on 263 farms in eleven counties during the summer of 1937. 

 These will form a basis for the selection of farms in the dairy farming areas for 

 case studies of organization and management. The schedules for seven counties, 

 which comprise a total of 134 farms, were sent to the Washington ofifice for 

 tabulation. Cards have been prepared for 129 farms in Worcester, Franklin, 

 Hampshire and Hampden counties, and contain physical and financial factors 

 of the farm organization and operation for one year. 



Case studies of the organization and management of three farms in the western 

 Middlesex and eastern Worcester county area have been started. These farms 

 have dairy, poultry, and orchard enterprises in their organizations and it is 

 planned to determine the relationship between these enterprises under the three 

 sets of conditions found on the farms. 



An Economic Study of Secondary Milk Markets in Massachusetts. Group I— 

 Connecticut Valley. (A. A. Brown, C. R. Creek, and J. E. Donley.) The supply 

 side of the market has been emphasized during the past year. Location of most 

 Massachusetts producers within the milkshed has shown a clustering of dairy 

 farms in groups; a clustering which at present appears to be the result of natural 

 conditions. One of these groups lies to the southwest of the Springfield market 

 in the towns of Southwick and Agawam. 



In 1935 the average daily deliveries of most of the producers in the Southwick- 

 Agawam section were from 90 to 120 pounds; the average net price 2.40 per 

 hundredweight. This situation indicates that the difficulties of the dairy farmer 

 are due more to a small volume of sales than to a low price. In fact, with such 



