December, 1931] Dairy Faeming in Grafton County 101 



are good in this respect, practically nojie that are exceptional, and the 

 average of 5,150 pounds of milk per cow for all is very low. On the 

 whole, production per cow is the weakest condition in farm manage- 

 ment in this area. If certain insidious diseases are responsible for this 

 condition, the State should take cognizance of the fact and set up ma- 

 chinery to enable the farmer to learn, at least, the best and most effica- 

 cious means of control. Tuberculosis eradication is already well under 

 way in this county, but contagious abortion is still prevalent. In so far 

 as breeding and farm sanitation have to do with better production and 

 better milk, there is a fertile field here for more research and exten- 

 sion work. 



There are other factors which contribute to better milk production 

 per cow. One is better quality cows to be obtained through better 

 breeding or by purchase. This is fundamental, because without inher- 

 ent capacity other methods of appreciably increasing production per 

 cow may be futile. Feeding in sufficient amounts and with ingredients 

 properly balanced is important, and its results are obvious to every 

 farmer. Breeding for reasonably uniform production throughout the 

 year is important, not only because it has considerable effect on total 

 production per cow, but also because it puts milk on the market in ac- 

 cordance with consumer demand. 



Because these are reasonably large businesses Avitli 15.7 cows and 

 233 acres of land per farm, no other factor needs correcting for the 

 group as a whole as badly as production. However, size and efficiency 

 are subject to improvement, and for individual farms either one or 

 both factors may easily become of paramount importance. 



The best measure of size was man work units per farm, and the aver- 

 age was 413. In general, a two-man farm business is more easily organ- 

 ized for efficiency than a smaller one. There are many kinds of work 

 that require two men. Farming may be less monotonous for two. In 

 case of illness or necessary absence, an extra worker provides for get- 

 ting the milking done. Probably the most desirable business unit in 

 this area is from 30 to 60 cows with such other enterprises as can be fit- 

 ted into the organization and avoid serious conflicts with the dairy. 

 Such a business should provide at least 600 to 900 man work units per 

 farm and be susceptible to such an organization as shall enable each 

 worker to accomplish some 300 work units of productive labor per 

 year. 



In other words, with reasonable price conditions the first require- 

 ment for successful farming in this region is to have some good cows, 

 and the second is to have enough of these good cows to require a large 

 farm and thus provide a good labor organization for from 2 to 3 men. 

 This will make necessary the use of modern labor-saving machinery 

 and conveniences and will provide for their economic utilization. 



Much more than half the income on these farms came from milk. A 

 decrease in the cost of milk production resulted in a sure response in 

 better labor income. Here again a good sized herd and high-producing 

 cows were the most important prerequisites to efficiency and thus con- 

 tributed unmistakably to lowering the costs of producing milk. 



