20 



BULLETIN 858, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



bale their straw and hay. The purchased feeds were figured at their 

 actual cost at the feed store or on the track, plus the cost of hauling 

 them home. The same methods were used in figuring the value of 

 bedding. However, some of the bedding consisted of refuse hay and 

 shredded corn stover left in the mangers, for which no charge was 

 made. 



Table 10. — Average cost of feed per ton on the farm, including cost of grinding home- 

 grown grains and hauling purchased concentrates. 



Teed. 



Purchased concentrates 



Home-grown grain 



Commerchl carbohydrate nay. 

 Noncommercial roughage. 



Legume hay 



Succulent roughage 



"Winter. Summer. 



S2S. 51 

 21.44 

 10.20 



5.13 

 12.83 



4.03 



S27. 27 

 23. 66 

 7.59 

 7.35 

 9.57 



• 4.08 



1916-17. 



"Winter. Summer. 



$35. 89 

 33.95 

 10.90 



5.95 

 12.89 



4.03 



$36.58 

 40.23 

 11.41 



5.28 

 13.34 



4.08 



PASTURE. 



The cost of pasture was determined by adding to the interest on the 

 investment in land the cost of maintaining fences, and incidentals, 

 such as seeding, cutting weeds, etc. The investment in land was 

 obtained by subtracting the value per acre of the improvements 

 on the farm, as determined by prorating their value in accordance 

 with the quality of the different classes of land on a farm, from the 

 improved value per acre. In one or two instances where land was 

 rented at so much an acre for pasturage purposes, this value was taken. 

 The cost of pasture was distributed over the 6 summer months as 

 nearly as possible in proportion to the quantity of feed the herd 

 received from the grass each month. 



LABOR. 



The amount of different kinds of labor was obtained by timing the 

 work performed during one entire day every month in each dairy. 

 The rate per hour was computed each month for every farm on a basis 

 of the number of hours available for work each month and the wages 

 paid by that farmer, and any other expenses connected with the hired 

 help, such as board and room or having a horse kept. The number of 

 hours was found by using the average length of the working day, 

 with time out for meals, and hours of work performed on Sunday. 

 Board for hired help was computed on the basis of local rates. 



When these costs were tabulated, no charge for management was 

 iwluded. The labor performed by the managers was charged to the 

 herds at hired men's rates. Although a charge for management 

 should be included in the requirements for milk production, no 

 satisfactory method was found for determining what this should be for 

 all the dairies. 



