SYSTEMS OF FARMING ON DAIRY FARMS 237 



cation is in better condition, but this is not enough to make 

 up f )r the past difference in returns. Even with the fer- 

 tility left from all the previous years of treatment the plots 

 that had the heaviest applications were still paying least per 

 ton f manure on the twenty-first year. 



01 course if there is enough manure, the heavier applica- 

 tion is very desirable, but with a limited amount it is better 

 to sj read it thinly. These figures also indicate the high value 

 that one can assign to manure if he is keeping a small amount 

 of stock. 



If a farmer had 180 tons of manure a year to apply for 21 

 yean under conditions like those in the Ohio experiment, 

 the manure would produce increased crops worth $15,869, 

 if applied at the rate of 4 tons every three years, but would 

 give increased crops worth only $10,693 if applied at the rate 

 of 16 tons every three years. If the manure is not wasted, 

 this amount is usually available on a farm that keeps 15 cows 

 in addition to the usual amount of young stock, horses, etc. 

 If applied at the rate of 4 tons every three years, it would 

 provide for 135 acres of crops. These are about the condi- 

 tions on many 160-acre farms. 



If the manure were applied at the rate of 16 tons every 

 three years, it would provide for only 34 acres of crops. 

 This would be a very small farm. Another way to provide 

 for the larger application would be to keep four times as 

 many cows on the larger area. But this would make a very 

 heavily-stocked place. 



From the above, we see that one of the strong reasons for 

 keeping a moderate number of cows is the high value that 

 can be obtained from the intelligent use of small applications 

 of manure. One of the reasons why it may not pay to stock 

 the farm too heavily is the smaller value that manure then has. 



