advantage, and thus reduce their production costs below that of the farmers who 

 kept poor livestock and practised good feeding. Table No. 23 shows, then, that 

 feeding increased production per cow, but that good breeding of the herd had a 

 much greater effect on reducing the cost of producing butter-fat than had 

 feeding. 



Summary 



As previously stated, the conclusions of one year's farm operations cannot 

 be considered final. 



The following conclusions are tentatively offered with respect to the dairy 

 farms investigated for the purposes of this bulletin: 



1. Dairy farms with from twenty-six to forty-five tillable acres offered 

 practically as great opportunity for the dairyman as the larger farms. (Tables 

 Nos. 7, 8 and 16.) 



2. The size of the business was a more potent factor than the size of the 

 farm as a means of increasing returns on farms. (See notes re Table No. 16.) 



3. When interest on the total capital was allowed at the rate of 7% the 

 average returns on the farms were not sufficient to allow wages to the operators 

 of the farms, with the exception of Group 2, Table 7. (Tables Nos. 7 and 16.) 



4. The employment and management of farm help were factors which very 

 materially affected labour incomes. (Table No. 11.) 



5. Good crop yields were essential to good returns. (Table No. 12.) 



6. High quality livestock had a greater effect towards increasing labour 

 incomes than did good crop yields. (Table No. 12.) 



7. Farms on which pure-bred sires were used sold more butter-fat per cow 

 than did other farms. (Table No. 13.) 



8. Breeding was a greater factor than feeding as a means of increasing 

 labour incomes. (Table No. 14.) 



9. The average rental of leased farms equalled 4.5% of the total value of 

 the farms. (Table No. 15.) 



10. The operators of owned farms received 1.9% interest on investment, 

 along with wajjes, a free house, and farm products used in the house. (Page 12.) 



11. It paid the dairy farmers to produce and market cash crops. (Tables 

 Nos. 16 and 17.) 



12. Some dairymen used too small, and some too great, a percentage of 

 their farms as pasture. (Table No. 18,) 



13. The cost of producing butter-fat, computed as shown on Page 15, 

 varied on different farms from 37 cents to $2.52 per pound. The average cost 

 was $1.06 per pound. (Page 15.) 



14. Farmers who produced butter-fat at lowest cost had larger herds, sold 

 more butter-fat per cow, had better bred stock, f^d more economically, handled 

 a larger farm business, grew better crops and used labour more efficiently than 

 did the farmers whose costs of production were high. (Tables Nos. 19, 20, 21 

 and 22.) 



15. The breeding of the herd was a more potent factor in reducing the cost 

 of producing butter-fat than was the feeding of the herd. (Table No. 23.) 



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