June, 1940] Farm Management in Colebrook 9 



As shown in fig-ure 4, fluid milk had been above $3 per 100 pounds 

 during most of the five-year period from 1926 to 1930 and about $2 

 per 100 pounds in the following five-year period. For about five 

 months previous to the study milk had been very low in price but 

 was al)ove $2 during most of the year studied. 



Surplus milk during the year averaged about $1 per 100 pounds 

 as compared with $1.75 in the 1926 to 1929 period. 



Potates produced in the crop year under observation sold for 

 about 20 cents per bushel at Colel)rook which was the lowest price 

 in the 10-year period. Potatoes from December to June averaged 

 about 80 cents per hundredw^eight on the Boston market as compared 

 with $1.30 for the 10-year average. (Fig. 5). 



Grain prices, while higher than a year earlier, were low, especially 

 in the first part of the period. Dairy feed averaged about $31 per 

 ton for the year as compared with an average of about $40 for the 

 five-year period, 1926-1930. (Fig. 4). 



On account of the very low prices of potatoes the financial returns 

 for the year were subnormal for even a depression period. The po- 

 tatoes had been grown with the usual practices and yields were 

 about normal. Had potatoes sold at a normal price for the area, 

 the average net income would have l)een approximately $600 greater. 



Grain Feeding 



Grain feeding varied from 3,080 pounds to 169 pounds per cow\ 

 Thirty-one operators fed less than 2,000 pounds and seven fed more 

 than 2.000 pounds per cow. In the face of low milk prices, one pro- 

 ducer fed at the rate of one pound of grain to 2.2 pounds of milk 

 and eight others fed more than one pound of grain to three pounds 

 of milk. On the other extreme, eight fed less than one pound of 

 grain to five pounds of milk. The operators had not fully adjusted 

 themselves to the changing price situation. The rating system un- 

 doubtedly was a factor in the amount of grain feeding. Since the 

 grain is a definite out-of-pocket expense as distinguished from the 

 other important items of cost, such as the available labor and over- 

 head entering into roughage production, the decision as to the 

 amount of grain to feed should be applied at the margin. That is, 

 with the operator's labor, the farm, and the cows available, g-rain 

 can be added advantageously as long as the last pound fed returns 

 more than it costs. 



Two operators fed over 3,000 pounds of grain per cow and with 

 low milk prices were no doubt getting small returns for the last 

 unit of grain fed. In both cases the additional production resulting 

 from forced feeding was sold at surplus prices. Dairy management 

 becomes a rule of thumb procedure with some operators and they 

 continue wath a static management in a dynamic universe. 



In figure 6 the herds have been arranged to show gross income 

 per cow on the left and gross income less grain cost on the ri^ht. 

 The greater the cost of grain per cow the greater the slant of the 

 lines. This item in itself does not indicate a measure of efficiency 

 or economy in feeding, but it is evident in studying the chart that 



