16 BULLETi:^r 425^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICTJLTXJEE. 



In group A the average family incoine on the 26 farms having the 

 better class of cows is $504, or almost three times the average family 

 income of the other 34 farms. Undoubtedly the farmers who kept 

 the higher quahty of cows were also better farmers than the average 

 in other respects, yet it is fair to conclude that as dairying is a major 

 enterprise on each of these farms the quality of the cows has much to 

 do with producing the larger incomes. 



In group B the 56 farms having the better cows have an average 

 family income of S771, or about two and one-half times that of the 

 34 farms having the less productive cows. As compared with group 

 A, a much larger percentage of the farms in this group have the better 

 grade of cows. The ability of these farmers to ehminate the less 

 productive cows is largely due to better financial circumstances. 

 The larger average cultivated area as compared with group A indi- 

 cates that these are generally better developed farms than those in 

 group A. The selection of cows has, therefore, in most cases probably 

 covered a longer period. 



Group C contains no farms on which the average income per cow 

 is less than S50. As compared with the farms having the better 

 grade of cows in group B, the farms in group C are more than twice 

 as large in cultivated acres, have about twice the number of cows, 

 larger receipts per cow, almost twice the family income, and more 

 than twice the labor income per farm. These increased incomes 

 are therefore apparently due to a combination of three major factors: 

 Tillable area, number of cows, and quality of cows. In groups A 

 and B, however, all these major factors are eliminated, except quality 

 of cows, and the larger incomes may be attributed very largely to the 

 influence of quality alone. 



The average value of cows on the 801 farms included in the survey 

 is $57.11, and the average value of milk products per cow is $58.04. 

 This estimate of milk products includes what the dairy furnishes the 

 family as well as milk products sold. Such a low return yields little 

 if any profit. With so small an area under cultivation as is found 

 on most farms in this district, crops should be fed to better cows. 



The need of more and better cows is generally recognized by farmers 

 and business men in all parts of the district. Many of the farmers 

 are recent settlers and not well supplied with working capital; it is 

 therefore not an easy matter for them to pay for first-class cows. 

 Kjiowing that successful agriculture is necessary to the permanent 

 prosperity of nearly all lines of business in this district, the city 

 business men in some sections are helping the f ar-mers to raise money 

 with which to purchase good dairy stock. The necessary capital 

 is obtained from the banks, and security is guaranteed by the business 

 men who in turn take their security on the stock purchased. Prin- 

 cipal and a moderate rate of interest are paid monthly out of the 



