COST OF KEEPING FARM HORSES. 15 
net loss of $3.92 per horse on the colt account, and in the low-cost 
group a net profit of $3.38 per horse. This makes a difference 
between the two groups of $7.30 per horse. The greater part of this 
| is due to the death of four colts valued at $300. It will be seen that 
| in addition to the loss of the colts themselves, there was the loss of 
all feed and attention furnished them. There was a slight difference 
of 39 cents in the manure credits in favor of the high-cost group. 
‘TABLE 10.—Ohio farms—Itemized average costs and credits for records showing a net 
cost per horse above the average for the State, and for those showing a net cost per horse 
below the average ' (7 farms, 72 horses). 
| | 
| 
Depre-| Appre-| Colt Colt | All 
Feed | Labor ciation | ciation | loss profit | other Manure 
Range of cost. e i 
| (cost). | (cost). | (egst), |(credit).| (cost). |(credit).| (costs). “Creat. 
Above the average cost............-.. | $92.12 | $31.09 | $0.07 |........ $25800|Sete se $27. 35 $7. 16 
Below the average cost..._.........-. GOs OU tn 23300). 5 eee Wee S40) evn Se ey re $0.34 | 22.57 9.35 
|————_- Poses ee at [A SS | 
DD WTEC COL ae arpa ys es ot oe leet eal 7.59 . 07 4. 50 2. 86 . 34 £78 2.19 
1 Average net cost per horse for the State, $120.37. 
Variations in costs between the two groups on the Ohio farms were 
found to be similar to those in Illinois. One-half of the 16 yearly 
farm records showed a net cost greater than the average for all 
records. The average net cost per horse for this group was $146.33, 
while the average net cost per horse for the low-cost group of eight 
records was $91.89. The difference in cost between the two groups 
was $54.44, which is $20.69 greater than the difference in Illinois. 
Feed and labor made up $39.70, or 73 per cent of this difference. 
Here, as in Ithinois, it will be seen that these two items are the princi- 
pal factors controlling variations in cost on the average farm. While 
there was a slight depreciation per horse in the high-cost group, 
there was an appreciation of $4.50 in the low-cost group, making a 
difference in cost of $4.57 per horse. Similar conditions were found 
regarding loss and profit on the colt account; that is, the high-cost 
group showed an average colt-account loss of $2.86 per horse, while 
the low-cost group showed an average profit of 34 cents per horse 
on this account. The depreciation and appreciation of horses, and 
the loss and profit on colt accounts, are items worth considering 
when it is understood that these differences in cost between the two 
groups were about $8 per horse. The difference in all other costs 
between the two groups was $4.78. This difference was largely due 
to the higher cost of interest, shoeing, medicine and veterinary 
services, stabling, and use of equipment in the high-cost group. 
Other items of cost, such as taxes, insurance, and miscellaneous, 
were about the same in each group. 
There was an average variation in manure credits of $2.19 per 
horse, the greatest credit appearing in the low-cost group. This 
