LIVE STOCK ON THE FARM 99 



The specialist makes money, but he would make 

 more if he could combine successfully the two 

 types of farming. 



The deduction from the foregoing statements 

 is quite plain that, under average conditions, 

 enough live stock should be kept to utilize the 

 low-grade products of the farm. By transform- 

 ing these into fertility for the fields, we are 

 raising the grade of our products. Moreover, in 

 many cases, the cost of harvesting may be wiped 

 out by turning the animals into the fields to har- 

 vest their own food. If the cost of harvesting a 

 bushel of corn is ten cents, and a pig turned into 

 the corn-field gathers the ear for himself, he 

 should be credited with the value of the labor 

 which he thus performs, in casting up the ac- 

 counts of the farm. 



Investigation has shown that when produc- 

 tion of crops has reached about 150% of the 

 average yield the curve of profit begins to go 

 down. No top has been found to animal pro- 

 duction. The average hen lays, perhaps, 100 

 eggs per year. The 200-egg hen does not cost 

 twice as much in feed and care as her ordinary 



