COST OF KEEPING FARM HORSES. 9 



The cost per hour of man labor, as determined from these cost- 

 accounting investigations, was found to be 15 cents for the Illinois 

 farms, 16 cents for those in Ohio, and 16.5 cents for those in New 

 York. The proprietor's labor was charged at the same rates. 



The cost per hour of horse labor was found by dividing the net 

 cost of keeping the horses by the total number of hours worked by 

 them. The average cost was about 9^ cents for the Illinois farms, 

 14 cents for those in Ohio, and 14 J cents for those in New York. 



INTEREST ON VALUE OF HORSES. 



Although interest is an indirect cost, it must be considered before 

 the total cost of keeping can be determined. This interest cost was 

 figured at 5 per cent of the average value of the horse as shown by 

 the yearly inventories. In the three States studied, interest varied 

 from an average of $7.90 in Illinois to $9.43 in New York. The aver- 

 age values of the horses studied in this work were as follows: Illi- 

 nois, $158; Ohio, $173; New York, 



STABLING COST. 



"Stabling cost" concerns that part of the buildings used for sta- 

 bling horses and storing horse feed, and includes 5 per cent interest 

 on the average investment, insurance, taxes, cash and labor, repairs, 

 and depreciation. In cases where records were not kept for a long 

 enough period to determine the depreciation of buildings, a charge 

 of 2 per cent was made, allowance being made for all repairs that 

 were made during the year. This cost varied from 4.7 per cent of 

 the total gross cost of keeping in Illinois to 8.1 per cent in New York. 



USE OF EQUIPMENT. 



This item of cost embraces a charge of 5 per cent interest on the 

 average investment in harness and all miscellaneous equipment used 

 by the horses, both cash and labor for repairs, insurance, taxes, and 

 depreciation. Since this equipment is used by the horses alone, its 

 entire cost should be charged to them. In Illinois this cost was about 

 $4 per head, and $1 and $2 higher in Ohio and New York, re- 

 spectively. 



SHOEING. 



This item of cost usually represents a direct outlay of cash. On 

 many of the farms this expenditure was of minor importance, since 

 the horses were not shod except when needed for heavy road work or 

 when used on frozen ground. Especially was this true on the Illi- 

 nois farms, where the average cost per horse was only $0.86 per year. 

 On the Ohio and New York farms it was much higher, being $2.35 

 93180°— Bull. 560—17 2 



