124 FARM MANAGEMENT 



dren go to school between milkings. This is the common 

 practice in all dairy sections where nothing but milk, 

 butter, or cheese is sold. It is the custom not only in 

 America, but in all other countries. Occasionally a farmer 

 has such unusually good cows, or has money enough, so 

 that he can hire men to milk, even though he does not 

 have work for them between milkings. 



A much more satisfactory way of solving the problem 

 is to raise some kind of crops, fruits, or vegetables for 

 sale. Men can then do all the milking and can be kept 

 profitably employed between milkings. This is the way 

 that the problem is usually solved on the most successful 

 farms. Sometimes the crops sold will much more than 

 pay the entire labor bill. 



The same problem arises in keeping horses busy. To 

 haul milk and manure and raise feed for the cows does not 

 keep horses busy, but* this combined with other enter- 

 prises makes a good business. 



Winter dairying helps the labor situation, as there is 

 then less work on cows at the time when crops require 

 the most work. 



There are some cases in which a specialized dairy 

 farm may pay best. There is occasionally a dairy farm 

 where one man milks as many as 20, and in one case the 

 writer has seen 24 cows regularly milked by one man. 

 To milk and care for this number of cows is a full day's 

 work. But few men can milk this number. 



If a soiling system is practiced, there is less loss of time, 

 but this system is not profitable except under very unusual 

 conditions (page 177). 



If a dairyman retails milk, this provides work between 

 milkings. Even with retail milk, many farmers combine 

 other enterprises. 



