COST OF KEEPING FARM HORSES. 5 



about the middle of April to November the horses were out on grass 

 pasture at night and through the day when not working. In some 

 cases they were pastured on stalk fields after the corn was harvested. 



In Ohio a slightly greater quantity of feed per horse was purchased 

 than in Illinois, and less pasture was used, thus necessitating the use 

 of a greater quantity of hay, straw, and other roughage. Corn and 

 oats were sometimes ground and mixed with other feeds that were 

 bought. 



In New York a still greater quantity of feed was bought. Often 

 corn and oats were ground, and mixtures of these with purchased 

 feeds were fed. On some farms horses were never pastured. In New 

 York the average time per horse on pasture was 1.13 months, and in 

 Ohio 2.26 months, as against 4.93 months in Illinois. The quantity of 

 hay used increased as the time of pasture decreased. 



COST OF FEEDS. 



In Table 4 the feeds are divided into three classes, namely, grain, 

 roughage, and pasture, by States. 



Table 4. — Average quantity and cost of grain, roughage, and pasture per horse, by 

 States {27 farms, 316 horses). 



Kind of feed. 



Grain pounds . 



Roughage J pounds. 



Pasture days. 



Total- 



Illinois (151 horses). 



Average 

 quantity 

 per horse. 



4,500 



4.224 



148 



Average 



■cost per 



horse. 



$44. 93 

 16. 13 

 7.69 



68. 75 



Ohio (72 horses). 



Average 

 quantity 

 per horse, 



3,347 

 6,660 



Average 



cost per 



horse. 



$40. 71 

 32. 65 

 3.50 



76.86 



New York (90 

 horses). 



Average 

 quantity 

 per horse. 



2,691 



9,513 



34 



Average 



cost per 



horse. 



$38. 55 



51.20 



1.50 



i The item "roughage" includes, along with hay, straw, etc., small amounts of succulent roughage, such 

 as silage and roots. 



Referring to the figures for the different States, it will be seen that 

 the average total of grain per horse is less in Ohio and New York than 

 in Illinois, while the average total of roughage per horse is greater. 

 This is largely due to the greater relative cost of concentrated feed in 

 the East. Thus the price of corn in New York, as compared 

 with Illinois, is 42 per cent greater, and of oats 36 per cent greater, 

 while the price of hay is only 9 per cent more in New York than in 

 Illinois. In Table 5 is shown the average price of each feed, by States. 



