December, 1931] Dairy Farming in Grafton County 75 



must be grown in comparatively large acreages and with a minimum 

 of hand labor to be profitable, it should still appeal to more dairy 

 farmers as a means of diversifying a large business. 



Cabbage 



Cabbage has hardly been tried in this area. It is adapted to a cool 

 climate and plenty of rainfall. Some liming would probably be re- 

 quired on New Hampshire soils. Cabbage fluctuates in price even 

 more than potatoes, but may be easily harvested as a succulent feed 

 in years when it cannot be sold. It is merely suggested here as a pos- 

 sibility because, unlike potatoes, it requires no expensive machinery. 



Poultry 



The only animal enterprise other than dairy cows that had been 

 found feasible as a commercial undertaking by farmers included in 

 the survey was poultry. Hens have combined reasonably well with 

 cows in other intensive dairy regions of the United States. They are 

 economically sound for New Hampshire in producing a high quality 

 and perishable product to supply a high-class trade in neighboring cit- 

 ies. As handled commercially, chickens are likely to provide more 

 work in summer than in winter. The climate in Grafton County is 

 somewhat rigorous for poultry, but with good buildings and proper 

 care, this enterprise should contribute to better labor incomes. As 

 there were only eight farmers that had an average inventory of 200 

 hens or more, no tabulations regarding poultry were attempted. 



MiscellaneQtus Receipts 



Miscellaneous items of income included work off the farm, maple 

 products, honey, lumber, fair premiums, wool, wood, summer board- 

 ers, and similar projects of great variety and of difficult classifica- 

 tion. Of all receipts, an average of about 13 per cent came from this 

 source. There were two ways of adding other sources of income to 

 the dairy farms in this region. One was to develop additional enter- 

 prises on the farm itself, and the other was to seek work off the farm, 

 and oftentimes in unrelated business. With industry paying relatively 

 high wages and with farming none too profitable, the advantage in 

 income has often been with the person w^io was successful in finding 

 other things than farming to do. In so far as the farm is kept as in- 

 surance against the uncertain continuity of some other occupation, it 

 contributes some value in addition to that of reducing the probable 

 costs of maintaining a family. The variations in these opportunities 

 make any attempt at comparing them futile. 



The farmers in this section may well seek some one or two enter- 

 prises to fit in with the dairy business, but they should make them sub- 

 sidiary and not allow competition with quality or quantity in the dairy 

 enterprise itself. This statement is not significant for him who has a 

 good opportunity to do other things than farming and who wishes to 

 use his farm merely as a home. A very small business, even disregard- 

 ing quality, may well suit his convenience. 



