54 N. H. Agr. Experiment Station [Bulletin 275 



SUMMARY 



1. Thirty-eight wholesale milk farms in northern Grafton County 

 were studied in detail during the period April 1, 1931, to March 31, 

 1932. By frequent visits, the management and farm practices were 

 noted on each fann. 



2. In addition, the financial records were available for the two 

 previous years. The family labor income on these farms averaged 

 $1093, $944 and $282, respectively, for the three years ending March 

 31, 1930, 1931 and 1932. 



3. The skill of the individual dairyman in producing crops, in 

 handling cows, and in aggressively attacking the more important pro- 

 jects accounts for much of the difference in production per man, pro- 

 duction per cow, and livestock returns. 



4. Differences in price received for milk varied from $1.37 to $2.42. 

 The great variations which account for some of the differences in net 

 income were due to: purchaser to whom sold, grade of milk, bacteria 

 count, butterfat test, basic rating and seasonal variations in production. 



5. Low production of milk on some farms resulted from poor pas- 

 tures, lack of timely supplementing of dwindling pastures, lack of suf- 

 ficient protein in yearly ration, poor quality of cows and unskilled 

 handling. 



6. Most dairjanen were handicapped by inadequate cropping pro- 

 grams. High protein hay made up only about 15 per cent of the total 

 harvested. Both yields and quality of hay could be improved on most 

 farms by systematically seeding down a larger acreage each year. 



7. Most pastures were inadequate. Many were grown up to hard- 

 hack, juniper, sweet fern or brush. A better pasture program is 

 greatly needed. This may include elimination of hardback and other 

 growth on the good soil, division of permanent pasture to permit graz- 

 ing on one-half at a time, and the use of rotated tillage fields. 



8. Some dairymen were able to offset, but at considerable cost, the 

 effect of low protein roughage and inadequate pastures on milk pro- 

 duction by skillful grain feeding in ^\•inter and by green feeding in 

 summer. 



9. Chore work in caring for cows varied from 78 to 241 hours per 

 cow. The men with low chore hours per cow had more convenient 

 barns, used better methods, and organized the work more skillfully. 

 Detailed chore records indicate that some daiiymen are very skilled and 

 efficient in barn work. On one farm two men took care of 60 cows 

 and 40 head of young stock. However, even the most efficient in some 

 one practice are often inefficient in some other respect. 



10. The benefits from greater efficiency in chore work may accrue 

 in the foim of more leisure, larger output or less hired labor. 



11. On individual fanns the output per man as measured by out- 

 put units varied from 103 to 452. This difference is due largely to 

 the more constant use of available labor on productive enterprises, bet- 

 ter management of labor, more adequate equipment, higher quality 

 cows, more skill in arranging a cropping system and in a more ade- 

 quate pasture program. 



