FARM MANAGEMENT PRACTICE OF CHESTER COUNTY, PA. 91 



Table LIT gives the facts concerning feedstuff's raised, fed, sold, 

 and purchased. Almost exactly one-tenth of the total corn produced 

 for grain was sold, the remaining nine-tenths being fed. A much 

 larger proportion of the oats produced was consumed on the home 

 farm. The total value of feedstuffs produced on these 378 farms and 

 not sold, valued at average farm prices, which are somewhat less 

 than market prices, was $402,082. Of this, $36,061 represented an 

 increase in inventory over the previous year, and was hence not fed 

 during the year to which this study relates. This leaves a total of 

 $366,021 worth of feedstuffs produced and fed on these farms during 

 the year, or $49.79 worth per animal unit. 



Adding to this the $10.11 worth of feed bought, we have a total 

 value of feed per animal unit of $59.90. The actual commercial 

 value of the feedstuffs used on these farms is thus in the neighbor- 

 hood of $60 per animal unit. The corresponding income was $84.90, 

 a difference of about $25. 



The above figures include all kinds of animals kept on these farms 

 except that in determining income per animal unit the work horses 

 were left out of consideration. It does not follow from these figures 

 that the farmers would have made more profit if they had had no 

 live stock. In the first place, the stock furnishes a very good mar- 

 ket for much of the crop products of the farm. Had it not been 

 for the live stock on these and other farms in this region this market 

 with present prices would not have existed. In the second place, the 

 presence of the animals permits a diversification of crops which in 

 itself distributes the labor throughout the summer and part of the 

 winter and thus enables the farmer to do a larger proportion of his 

 work instead of hiring it done. In the» third place, the live stock 

 furnishes directly a large amount of employment at times of the 

 year which would otherwise remain unoccupied. We shall also see 

 later that the manure produced by the live stock on Chester County 

 farms has a very decided money value, by reason of the increased 

 yield of crops resulting from its use. This value is about $15 per 

 animal unit. This, together with the excess of income over feed 

 value, gives about $40 per animal unit as reward for labor, shelter, 

 up-keep of equipment, etc., made necessary by the presence of the 

 live stock. Except in the case of poultry and dairy cows, the amount 

 of labor required in caring for farm animals is comparatively small. 

 On the whole, therefore, the live stock in this region appears at least 

 to be paying its way, and the fact that it furnishes the farmer with 

 a large amount of productive labor and at the same time pays a fair 

 price for what feed is consumed fully justifies the types of farming 

 which prevail. Without this live stock these farmers would have 



