December, 1931] Dairy Farming in Grafton County 



41 



by cutting the hay crop earlier for the sake of palatability and protein 

 content. In so far as the roughage feed becomes more palatable so that 

 cattle will readily eat more, it is likely to reduce the necessary feed re- 

 quirements from other sources, more or less, regardless of its inherent 

 protein content. Nevertheless, both these practices will increase the 

 amount of protein in the roughage. 



Corn silage is recognized as an economical dairy feed wherever it 

 can be grown with any degree of success. Its succulence contributes 

 unmistakably to the palatability of the ration and to the good health 

 of heavy producing herds irrespective of its intrinsic feed value. 



Profits 



In order that all farms in this group might be comparable for most 

 purposes, they have been figured in all cases as if owned by the opera- 

 tors. The labor income as used here means the farm labor income, or 

 what the operator's labor income would have been had he owned the 

 entire property. (See definitions.) Interest is figured at 5 per cent, 

 the usual mortgage rate, on the total capital investment regardless of 

 the mortgage indebtedness. 



Maple groves are common in this area. In a very few cases they served as an impor- 

 tant source of income. 



Labor Income 



The receipts on these farms exceeded the expenses by $954 (Table 

 32). This is the operator's pay for his labor, managerial ability and 

 use of capital, and may be called the farm income. Assuming that the 

 money is worth 5 per cent interest, $561 is obtained as a fair charge 

 for the use of the capital invested. Deducting this amount from the 

 farm income leaves $393 as the average labor income. Labor incomes 

 vary from year to year as well as between communities. The average 

 labor income for 578 Livingston Countv farms in 1908 was $589 ; for 

 697 farms in 1918, $203 ; for 514 farms in 1928, $386.^ 



