Livestock on Enrolled Units 



A total of 418 milk cows were on units enrolled in the Program. How- 

 ever, this does not mean that 418 cows were removed from the County. 

 Thirty-five cows were retained on enrolled farms and drylot fed, and 37 

 were moved to some other farmstead (Table 5). A total of 81 cows in- 

 Table 5. Number of cows on Soil Bank units, disposition of cows 

 and estimated number removed due to tlie Program, 

 Coos County, New Hampshire 



Total number of cows on Soil Bank Units 418 



Still owned 35 



Changed farms 37 



Total 72 



Corrected number of cows on enrolled units 346 



Expected decline due to non-Soil Bank forces 151 



Number of cows removed from production due to the Soil Bank Program 195 



volved in the Program were sold as replacements to other farmers in the 

 County. These replaced stock normally sold as replacements to local dairy- 

 men, and therefore would represent a net loss. Including the cows sold 

 to dealers and other local farmers, the maximum net impact in terms 

 of cow removals is estimated to be 346. 



Sizable year-to-year fluctuations in cow numbers are experienced by the 

 County, and it is within this framework that the changes in cow numbers 

 attributable to the Soil Bank should be appraised. The trend in cow num- 

 bers should be considered also, as they reached their peak in 1920 and 

 the trend has since declined at a fairly constant rate. 



The 1939-59 trend in cow numbers is shown graphically in Figure 3. 

 Cow numbers increased in 1952, 1953 and 1954, but since then have de- 

 creased. The expansion of cow numbers is traceable to the farmers' re- 

 sponse to the more favorable price relationships that occurred during the 

 Korean War. 



The long-time trend in cow numbers and the downward trend in farm 

 numbers suggests that some number less than the 346 cows removed on 

 enrolled units represents the net effect of the Soil Bank on cow numbers. 

 Each enrolled farm unit was examined carefully in order to estimate the 

 net effect of the Program on cow numbers. Including all types of units 

 that had cows at time of enrollment, it is estimated that the Program was 

 responsible for a reduction of 195 cows. 



While the Soil Bank Program influenced cow numbers in the County, 

 the magnitude of the change was not particularly large when compared 

 with year-to-year changes experienced in the 1950's. The expansion in 

 cow numbers from 1952 to 1953 amounted to 649, three times the change 

 attributable to the Program. Between 1955 and 1956, cow numbers were 

 reduced by 307 cows, somewhat more than the number attributable to 



18 



