June, 1939] The Agricultural Conservation Program in N. H. 



25 



level of butter and cheese. So, in general, supplies of milk greatly 

 beyond the requirement of fluid milk deepen the effect of competition 

 from other areas and result in unfavorable composite milk prices. 



There are people in New England who contend that the dairyman 

 should produce all the fluid milk and all the cream used in New Eng- 

 land. To these advocates this production is a duty, a ''stint," for the 

 New England dairyman. They are thinking in terms of institutions. 

 A certain housewife with a certain type of institutional conscience in- 

 sists on devoting six hours every Monday to the washing process. If 

 there are not sufficient dirty clothes to keep her busy, she will put un- 

 soiled clothes from the beds and closets through the wash. A specialized 

 conscience demands this special stint of six hours of hard work. 



In the competitive milk production situation, the New England dairy- 

 man needs to produce only such amounts as it is to his and the indus- 

 try 's advantage to produce. Additional amounts can be purchased from 

 competing centers. If the production of all the cream results in lower 

 income to dairymen there is no advantage gained by either the dairy- 

 man or the consumer in the long run. 



The industry could not, of course, produce all the cream required 

 without occasionally and seasonally producing a surplus which would 

 have to be diverted into butter. The depressing effect on fluid prices 

 plus the larger proportion of non-fluid milk would result in a low 

 composite price which would be distressing to most dairymen. 



Thus in New England it would probably not be to the advantage of 

 the industry to expand present production. 



Without question, the conservation program stimulating greater use 

 of lime, more frequent reseeding of hay land, and more fertilizer on 

 pasture will eventually increase yields of roughage and the carrying 



Table 17. Distribution of 51,702 acres of tillage according to per cent of 



tillage land reseeded in 1937. 



