4 X. TT. Agk. Experiment Station [Bullftin 260 



erable extent on successful dairy farm management. This is particu- 

 larly true of the northern counties where the choice of enterprises is 

 much more limited than farther south. 



Most farm surveys embrace too few businesses to provide conclusive 

 evidence concerning- the pi-oblems involved. Out of 1592 separate in- 

 vestigations made in the United States up to 1929, only 210, or 13.2 

 per cent, have included more than 100 records, and the average num- 

 ber for all was only 64.* That this study might provide ample data for 

 drawing some definite conclusions regarding the ])resent status of 

 farming in one of the most intensive wholesale milk regions in the 

 State, was one of the reasons for its inception. A much more important 

 objective was the probability of discovering ways and means of or- 

 ganization and management that should contribute to the personal 

 welfare of some or all of the present and potential farmers concerned. 



Every farm is by nature and necessity a miniature experiment sta- 

 tion. Few, indeed, are the possible practical practices that have not 

 been tried out by some farmer, somewhere. An analysis of the finan- 

 cial results of these experiences, whether successful or otherwise, can- 

 not fail to be of value to others confronted with similar problems. It 

 is to the interpretation of these experiments and experiences among 

 farmers and on their own farms that the analysis to follow is devoted. 



METHODS 



The records were taken between the middle of April and the first of 

 July, 1930. They included the farm business for the year beginning 

 April 1, 1929, and ending March 31, 1930. Four hundred and fourteen 

 records were obtained for as many farms distributed through fifteen 

 towns in Grafton County and one adjacent town in Coos County. Ten 

 of these towns border on the Connecticut River and the remaining six 

 are contiguous to these. The location of the towns is shown graphically 

 in Figure 1. 



Through the assistance of the county agent, tlie farmers' names were 

 secured from the lists of patrons at the several milk stations in or near 

 the area. As practically every farmer in this region sells milk at some 

 time during the j^ear, this method provided a reasonably complete 

 list. The county agent, managers at the milk stations, selectmen, gro- 

 cery men, and others gave further assistance in locating the farms and 

 in attaining the co-operation of their owners. 



Through the co-operation of the milk-buying companies and their 

 agents at the respective stations, accurate accounts of the amounts and 

 prices of wholesale milk delivered to them by each farmer were made 

 available. This eliminated some chances of error through failure to 

 find the farmer's pay slips and having to accept his estimate of receipts 

 for milk. Much more important, it relieved the farmer of considerable 



* Compiled from figures in United States Department of Agriculture 

 Yearbooks, 1925 and 1931, pp. 1285 and 984, respectively. 



