16 Experiment Station Bulletin 363 



In the study of dairy farms it is proposed to develop a formula that 

 w ill reveal changes of income from year to year without canvassing the 

 farmers annually. The formula is to be of such a nature that published 

 figures of prices and quantities can be used to compute farm incomes af- 

 ter basic figures for some one year have been secured. The year 1944 

 was selected as the vear of reference. 



A preliminary survey made early in the year revealed two outstand- 

 ing facts. 1. It was found, as a rule, that 90 per cent to 95 per cent of 

 the total cash incomes comes from the sale of milk and the sale of cows 

 and calves. 1. It was found that the items of expense of outstanding im- 

 portance are feed and labor. In view of these facts, chief attention was 

 devoted to the income from milk and cows and calves and to the cost of 

 feed and labor. Series were computed, showing income per cow. per 

 vear, and the cost of grain per cow, per year. The question of labor 

 costs was more complicated. 



It was found that there is a very close correlation between the cost 

 of grain per cow, per year, and the value of milk per cow, per year. The 

 ratio of the cost of grain to the value of milk over a period of 15 years 

 varied from .23 to .27. It was also found that if there had been no milk 

 subsidy, the farmers would have been operating in 1944 at a more dis- 

 advantageous ratio than at any time during the 14-year period. 



In developing the formula for the Index of Income of dairy farms, 

 series of relatives were computed for each of the major items of income 

 and expense. 



The work is still in progress and the final formula has not yet been 

 achieved; but preliminary figures show a rather substantial increase in 

 income from year to year, during recent vear3. 



G. N. Bauer 



CHEMISTRY 



The Carbohydrates of Pasture and Hay Crops 

 As Related to Their Utilization by Cattle 



Twenty-three samples (13 grasses and 10 legumes) have been ob- 

 tained to meet the stringent requirements of this project. Of these one 

 is from the University of California, two from Pennsylvania State Col- 

 lege, four from the University of Illinois, and 16 from the University of 

 New Hampshire. Portions of these samples have been prepared for 

 analysis. Their extraction with ether is completed. 



T. G. Phillips, T. O. Smith 



Study of Thiamine Assay Methods 



Current activity is concerned mainly with determining a means for 

 eliminating the error due to non-thiochrome materials, which is often en- 

 countered in the fluorimetric assay of thiamine. This study is based on 

 the fact that the presence of benzenesulfonyl chloride blocks the conver- 

 sion of thiamine to thiochrome. Thus, in carrying out an assay, two 

 samples are subjected to oxidation by alkaline potassium ferricyanide, to 

 one of which benzenesulfonyl chloride is added prior to addition of the 



