]May, 1933] Efficiency Studies in Dairy Farming 45 



tliroiigh their chores to get away from the farm in which they were 

 not i)rimarily interested. Some took considerable time for separate 

 tasks because of hick of organization and good methods, w^iile in other 

 cases special interest in the job resulted in longer time on each oi)eration. 

 Certain of the operators tended to use their own labor to advantage 

 by steady employment of their time over a longer ])eriod tlian others, 

 cin those famis growing silage, for example, an average of 28 hours 

 per cow were required in roughage production, while on farms not 

 growing silage only 20 hours were required per cow. But since the 

 silage and hay do not compete for labor, silage could be grown in ad- 

 dition to hay, thus, making better use of the available labor. 



Cash Crops 



When cash crops such as maple sirup or potatoes were carefully 

 fitted into the dairy organization so that little additional hired labor 

 was required, the output per man was increased. 



Seven of the operators made maple simp and thus had employment 

 for their available labor in early spring before field work began. The 

 year was unfavorable for simp and only 559 gallons were harvested 

 where normally 1,500 would be expected. Very little extra hired labor 

 was employed, and the major cost was the time of the regular labor 

 in a slack season. About $1,000 worth of sirup resulted from the em- 

 ployment of 1,452 hours of man labor, 332 hours of horse labor, the 

 burning of 35 cords of wood, the use of $3,000 worth of special equip- 

 ment and the use of the sugar orchard. The wood largely represents 

 labor employed at odd times in the winter. If the operators were able 

 to do the sugar work without neglect of the other enterprises, they were 

 xiliead financially even though the returns per hour of work were low. 



Three men produced potatoes on a commercial scale. A comparison 

 •of one of these with another growing no cash crop will indicate how 

 the potato grower is able to have this added production without much 

 iidditional hired labor. 



Both farais cany about 35 cows. The potato man secured a slightly 

 greater milk yield per cow. He put about 500 hours less on stock and 

 SO hours less' on roughage, but used 800 hours on potatoes. Thus by 

 cutting time on chores, by hiring the equivalent of two months more 

 labor and by working somewhat more strenuously himself at potato 

 harvest time^ he was able to produce about 3,000 bushels of potatoes 

 in addition to slightly more milk. 



Most dair^^men can increase their efficiency in chores and in other 

 farm activities by giving more attention to better and easier methods. 

 Each man in the light of his particular situation, his farm, his present 

 barn and field arrangement, his own skill and physical and financial 

 iibilities, can improve his situation by questioning present methods. 

 Much can be done without the expenditure of money. 



