FARM MANAGEMENT PRACTICE OF CHESTER COUNTY, PA. 49 



the 2 farms deriving a greater portion of income from them made 

 labor incomes 39 per cent below the average. As has already been 

 stated, sheep represent a form of extensive farming which, in this 

 region as elsewhere, tends to gravitate toward the larger farms. 



In regions where the farms are not heavily stocked with animals 

 that are capable of consuming the coarse roughage and the natural 

 growth that would go to waste on various parts of the farm, it would 

 probably pay to keep a small flock of sheep as scavengers. So long 

 as their feed consists largely of such materials they should be profit- 

 able. Small numbers of sheep may be moved about the farm in such 

 a way as to avoid largely the danger of infection from parasites. 

 When large numbers are kept the battle against parasites becomes a 

 severe one. Generally speaking, the eastern farmer can not com- 

 pete with the western ranges and those of the Appalachian Moun- 

 tain country in raising sheep. The winter feeding of lambs is a dif- 

 ferent business. No examples of it were found in this area. It is too 

 far removed from the source of supply of feeders. Most of the farms 

 are also too small to make this business satisfactory. The profits are 

 too small for the small farmer. 



Swine. — In the days before the development of the dairy industry 

 here, and during the early history of dairying, when butter making 

 was its prominent feature, swine occupied an important position in 

 the agriculture of Chester County. The Chester White breed of 

 swine originated here and took its name from that of the county. 

 Since the decline of butter making swine have assumed a minor place 

 in the local agriculture, though they are quite generally kept in 

 small numbers as a means of producing home supplies. About half 

 the farms analyzed in this survey sold a small quantity of pork 

 products. Five of them derived from 20 to 30 per cent of their 

 income from this source and 24 others from 10 to 20 per cent. On 

 the face of the returns those farms deriving part of their income 

 from swine made greater profits than those that did not, but the 

 data are not sufficiently extensive to demonstrate that hogs are more 

 profitable here than the local farmers generally consider them to be. 

 So far as they go, the indications are that it would pay these farmers 

 to give more attention to swine. 



Most profitable combination of enterprises. — From the foregoing 

 discussion it appears that dairying may occupy almost any status in 

 this region from that of furnishing about one-fourth of the income 

 to that of almost the sole source of income, the latter especially if 

 the cows are of high quality and the farm is well stocked with them. 



Of the remaining enterprises, the most profitable status appears 

 to be approximately as follows: Corn should occupy all the first 

 year and a good part, if not all, of the second year of the rotation, 

 14138°— Bull. 341—16 4 



