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



27 



roughage have enabled the farmer to keep more stock. In turn more 

 stock has meant more manure. Since the grain is purchased and since 

 the land is plov^ed and reseeded regularly there has developed greater 

 yielding capacity. 



Although corn is considered a soil-depleting crop in the national 

 economy, it does not follow that the growing of moderate acreages of 

 corn silage in New Hampshire results in soil depletion. The effect of 

 corn growing on soil depletion or soil building is quite different in a 

 region where only one-fifth the area is in grass and no grain is pur- 

 chased as compared to regions such as New Hampshire where over 90 

 per cent of the tillage land is in grass and large quantities of grain are 

 purchased. A moderate acreage of corn silage as handled in this state 

 may be a factor in soil building rather than depletion, provided it is 

 grown in a regular system in which several years of grass follow. 



Effect of Program on Cow Population 



Fundamentally, cow population in New Hampshire will depend more 

 upon price relationships than upon conservation programs. Long con- 

 tinued low milk prices will discourage the employment of new capital 

 and new personnel in the dairy enterprise and on the other hand high 

 prices will eventually stimulate dairy production. But the conserva- 

 tion program is an important factor in the extent and location of the 

 dairy industry. Production at any one time will have to be geared 

 to the capacity of the agricultural plant and this capacity is dependent 

 upon the management farms are given over a period of years. If the 

 capacity of the plant declines it cannot be brought back quickly, and the 

 further it declines the more difficult and more expensive is the process 

 of bringing it back. On the other hand, if the plant is over-expanded 

 in relation to demand, the price situation is likely to be unfavorable for 

 a period of years. 



Table 19. Distribution of 51,702 acres of tillage land according to number 

 of animal units per acre of tillage land and per cent of tillage land reseeded. 



