FARM MANAGEMENT PRACTICE OF CHESTER COUNTY, PA. 



95 



The remarkable difference in the rate of depreciation of dairy cows 

 in Chester County, Pa., and in Lenawee County, Mich., is due mainly 

 to the difference in the prices at which cows are bought and sold in 

 the two localities. In the Michigan locality the average price paid 

 for cows by dairy farmers was $48.48. The average price at which 

 these same farmers sold their discarded cows was $42, a difference of 

 only $6.48. In the Pennsylvania locality the average purchase price 

 was $03.84, while the average sale price was $37.36, a difference of 

 $26.48. The Pennsylvania farmer thus loses $20 more per cow bought 

 and sold than does the Michigan farmer. This accounts for the much 

 larger annual charge for depreciation on the Pennsylvania farms. 



In the Chester County area the farmers on the average raise 37 per 

 cent of their cows and buy the remainder. In the Michigan locality 

 they raise 57 per cent. The proportion of the average herd discarded 

 yearly is 23 per cent in Pennsylvania and 21.0 per cent in Michigan. 

 The average length of time the average cow remains in these herds is 

 therefore 4.34 years ( = 100/23) in the Pennsylvania area and 4.52 

 years in the Michigan area. The yearly percentage of deaths in the 

 herds was 1.69 for Pennsylvania and 1.31 for Michigan. 



In the above calculations it is assumed that the few cows butchered 

 were worth on the average as much per head as those sold. As very 

 few were butchered, whatever error there may be in this assumption 

 is of minor importance. 



DEPRECIATION OF FARM WORK HORSES. 



The rate of depreciation of farm work horses in these same locali- 

 ties is shown by the calculations given in Tables LVII and LVIII. 

 In both cases the annual rate is very close to 5 per cent. This does 

 not represent the rate at which a horse depreciates after he has passed 

 his prime, since, as in the case of dairy cows, this depreciation is 

 partly offset by the increase in value of young horses. 



Table LVII. — Shoicing depreciation of horses on 378 farms operated by oioners, 



Chester County. 





Number. 



Value per 

 head. 



Total 

 value. 





1,369 

 103 



8 



§135. 98 

 157. 36 

 157. 36 



$186, 183. 00 





16, 20S. 00 





1,259.00 







Total 







203, 650. 00 













1,367 

 64 



138. 95 

 128. 02 



189,947.00 

 8, 193. 00 









Total 







198, 140. 00 

















5,510.00 







2.97 



4,060.00 















9,570.00 









188,065.00 









5.09 











