78 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



tility than is required to manage a quarter section of land 

 so that it will bring not only the cost of food production, but 

 the cost of managerial effort, which represents interest, 

 taxes, depreciation, etc. 



So we have tried pretty hard to bring into our little 

 farming and dairying and breeding operations this factor 

 of managerial effort. 



We believe if farming is worth while and the breeding 

 of animals is worth while, that that business, just as much 

 as any other business, should provide for managerial effort. 

 Managerial effort mainly means the doing of the little 

 things, in addition to the big things that we all do. During 

 favorable years you make a profit, but in unfavorable years 

 you don't, because you are not in position to do the little 

 things that are necessary for success. 



We weigh the feed every day that every cow in the 

 barn eats. We don't do that for fun. We do it because we 

 think it pays to do it. We have a sheet called a monthly 

 feed sheet and that feed sheet is studied every night. 



I don't think I ever had a man work for me but that 

 he thought it was a foolish thing to weigh the feed and keep 

 an account of it, but we have never had them come back 

 and dispute the advisability of it after trying it out. 



I do not know what feed costs you. I expect you raise 

 it cheaper than I can buy it, but never in my experience 

 has feed been cheap enough for me to waste. I have never 

 been wealthy enough to be extravagant with feed. 



I never could tell within a pound or two how much feed 

 a cow ought to have and I could not tell that unless I knew 

 how much milk she was giving. If you want to take the 

 scales away from me, I will sell every cow I have got, be- 

 cause I will go broke if I can't weigh the feed and the milk 

 the cow gives. 



There is no way of interesting and educating the boy 

 and girl on the farm that is so conducive to their remaining 

 there than just letting them have scales and weigh the cow's 

 feed and the milk she gives. 



Remember this: that we are in agriculture, engaged 



