COST OF KEEPING FARM HORSES. 7 
U.S. Department of Agriculture are averages for each entire State. 
The grain prices shown in Table 5 are influenced also by the relative 
_ quantity of ground corn and oats used in the different States. 
It is evident that variation in feed prices had a marked influence 
on the total feed cost per horse in each State group. Aside from this, 
a study of individual farms shows that different feeding practices 
also had a distinct bearing on the total feed cost per horse. On some 
farms practically the same kinds of grain and roughage were fed 
throughout the year, the quantities of each varying from month to 
month according to the amount of work done by the horse. On 
other farms, the grain fed was reduced, and pasture and cheap rough- 
age, such as straw, fodder, etc., were substituted for hay when the 
horses were not worked regularly. The fact that the cost of feed 
was more than half of the total cost of keeping a horse should show 
how important to every farmer is a careful consideration of this 
subject. 
MONTHLY FEED COSTS ON SELECTED FARMS. 
In Table 6 are shown the variations in monthly feed costs on three 
individual farms, one from each of the three States. It will be seen 
that on each farm the greatest monthly feed costs were for March, 
April, May, June, and July. For these months, this cost per horse 
was $7.47 in Illinois, $7.60 in Ohio, and $8.92 in New York; for the 
remaining seven months, the average monthly feed cost per horse 
was $3 less in Illinois, $1.47 less in Ohio, and $2.24 less in New York. 
TABLE 6.— Variation in feed costs, by months, on three individual farms located, respec- 
tively, in Illinois, Ohio, and New York. — 
Month. Tllinois. Ohio. 
WAGED te ade choo eee et ae ee ee en lg SS. 68 $7.75 $7.94 
“DE ecbec ide Fash. Sohne ee ee 7. 65 | 7.30 7.68 
wiles Abce- RASA eee nS eee eee oe i 7.34 8. 42 10. 39 
EE 2 2c BBE Se ake ESS ele IS ee a gerd 6. 66 7.30 10. 68 
ELF acetéd heeds esd te oA. SRR ei a a ae eee ee 7.00 7.20 7.93 
SAUSUSE.-..--- 2 Shae + ot See See See — eee a a ee Sees 4.70 | 6. 50 7.76 
TERR TEP Lo ee 8S eae tg ey So 4.58 6. 66 7. 53 
RDDGEs seeten chose ce Gc Suge Ss See ee 4.32, 6. 29 6. 23 
wT WGERIDE Hee So as A i a me 4. 67 | 5. 40 6. 22 
LU PPTITISGE 5b dhe see kele de Se Se Be a ee ne ee 4.40 | 5.70 6.56 
2 SIU ING < Bethe een ae Some Ee tee a a a ea a 2 4. 40 | 5. 94 6. 56 
UC TATRIN 66 ck eae a Ras ce eRe eae 4.23 6. 42 | 5.92 
PENNA ES ERA ea Se eB he Na eon ee ne ES te 6. 74 7. 62 
On this particular Illinois farm the kinds of feed and the quantity 
of each varied considerably according to the work done by the 
horse. Especiaily is this true of the pasture which was used from 
_ April to November, when the horses were idle. In this State during 
- December, January, and February corn fodder and straw were fed 
extensively in the place of hay. 
On the Ohio farm, from March to August the feeds used were 
; corn, oats, bran, chop, and hay; from September to January corn 
: 
