Barn and Field Experiments in 1917. 7 



about the average cost for each year, but this does not include 

 freight or cartage. The hay and straw are priced at what 

 they would have sold for at the barn each year. The turnips 

 and rape are charged at what it costs to grow them without 

 any overhead charges. 



The only labor charged against the sheep is the actual 

 time used in care, as feeding, shearing, etc. The work of keep- 

 ing up pasture fences, buildings, making records, and other 

 things incident to the experimental side that does not directly 

 apply to the sheep, is not included in the tabulation. 



Receipts. 



The wool and lambs sold each year were probably as well 

 marketed as the average .farmer could expect unless he put a 

 good deal of his own time (and in the case of the Station that 

 means added cost) into finding a market. With the constantly 

 advancing price of wool it might have been held and likely 

 later have been sold at a higher price. But that would not have 

 been part of the experiment. It would be speculation as is all 

 holding of crops for a better market. No attempt to market 

 in any unusual way was made as that would be contrary to 

 the plan of the experiment. 



The manure from the sheep at the barns weighed 48 tons 

 and that from the summer droppings in the pasture houses 

 about 12 tons. As pointed out in Bulletin 260 the common 

 practice of keeping the droppings under the sheep during the 

 winter is wasteful. The manure is best removed at intervals 

 of about a month and put under swine. It is difficult to at 

 all accurately estimate the value of the manure. From this 

 number of sheep handled as indicated above, the manure pro- 

 duced is worth at present prices of nitrogen, phosphoric acid 

 and potash from $250 to $300 a year. This is not included in 

 the receipts from the sheep. It is allowed as an offset to the 

 overhead charges which as stated above are not included in 

 this account with sheep. 



The marked increase in value of the sheep since the ex- 

 periment began is not taken into account as it is "an unearned 

 increment" and is no part of the experiment. 



