FARM MANAGEMENT PRACTICE OF CHESTER COUNTY, PA. 97 



Table LIX. — Value of manure per animal unit determined by comparing two 

 groups of Chester County farms. 



[The first group contains 94 farms (one-fourth of entire number) having the least number of animal units 

 per 100 acres of crops (average, 20.30). Tho second group includes 94 farms having the highest number of 

 animal units per 100 acres of crops (average, 50.85). Difference, 30.49 animal units.) 





Acres per 

 100 acres 

 of crop. 5 



Average yield per 

 acre. 



Increase 

 in yield 

 per acre 



Increase in 



production 



per 100 



acres of 



crops. 



Prices. o 



Value of 



increased 



Crops. 



Lowest 

 group of 

 94 farms. 



Highest 

 group of 

 94 farms. 



production. 



per 100 acres 



of crops. 





23 

 6.21 



18.8 

 6.6 



45.4 



Bushels. 

 59.98 

 79.18 

 23.90 

 37.86 

 Tons. 

 1.22 



Bushels. 

 71.83 

 83.09 

 25.56 

 43.67 

 Tons. 

 1.55 



Bushels. 

 11.85 

 3.91 

 1.66 

 5.81 

 Tons. 

 - .33 



Bushels. 

 272. 55 

 24.24 

 31.21 

 38.35 

 Tons. 

 14.98 



$0.80 

 1.04 

 .92 

 .55 



22.12 



$218. 04 





25.21 



Wheat 



28.71 



Oats 



21.09 



Hay 



331. 36 







Total 















624. 41 



















Excess of fertilizer used by second group, per 100 acres of all crops 48.00 



Increase due to 36.49 animal units 576. 41 



Increase due to one animal unit 15. 80 



o Areas and prices are the averages for the entire 378 farms operated by their owners. These are used in 

 order to eliminate factors other than the quantity of manure available. The crop areas given here are per 

 100 acres of the five crops mentioned. 



The figures given for the value of manure per animal unit repre- 

 sent merely the increase in crop values due to the use actually made 

 of the manure on the farms in question. The cost of caring for the 

 manure and of spreading it on the fields must be deducted from 

 these figures. The average cost of spreading manure on the fields is 

 about 50 cents per ton, or about $5 or $6 per animal unit. It must 

 be remembered, however, that most of this cost is represented by 

 labor which the farmer may perform himself, and that whatever 

 he gets for his labor is added to his annual income, even if it be less 

 than ordinary wages. 



In making these calculations the farms of each locality were 

 divided into four equal classes, based on the number of animal units 

 kept per hundred acres of crops. The calculations relate only to the 

 major field crops, but the figures are handled in such a manner as 

 to credit similar average increases in yield and acre value to minor 

 field crops and to orchard lands. 



No account has been taken of whatever manure may have been 

 used on kitchen gardens or on permanent pasture land. There should 

 undoubtedly be some credit for these two classes of land, but as there 

 is no way of arriving at its value no account could be taken of it in 

 these calculations. Studies are now in progress with a view to de- 

 termining the value of manure used on pasture lands in this and 

 other localities. 



14138°— Bull. 341—16 7 



