25 



Variable costs except those for twine are rather "sticky", that is, their 

 rate of change is not proportionate to the accompanying change in production. 

 For instance, there is no apparent increase in the time required to mow an 

 acre of meadowland producing 2. 50 tons when compared with one producing 

 1. 25 tons. Also, the raking time is only slightly greater. It takes signifi- 

 cantly more time to bale and stack the hay from meadowland producing the 

 higher yield, but it does not take twice as long. In general, costs of such 

 items as gas, oil, and repair, which accompany these operations, follow 

 a similar pattern. 



With changes in the yield of hay, variable costs per acre change con- 

 siderably less proportionately than does production. This is because the 

 sanae acreage must be covered with the various implements, regardless of the 

 yield, and except for baling and stacking, lower -yielding hay allows for no 

 substantial increase in the speed by which the machinery can cover an acre of 

 land. 



To illustrate this point, the estimated labor required to harvest 200 acres 

 of typical meadowland with different yields per acre are: 



Item 



Yield at - 



1. 25 tons per acre 2. 50 tons per acre 



Mowing 



Raking 



Baling 



Stacking 



Total 



Labor per acre 



Tons harvested 



Labor per ton- 



Man-hours 

 136 

 111 

 161 

 207 



615 



3. 08 

 (250) 



2.46 



Man-hours 

 136 

 113 

 202 

 248 



699 



3. 50 

 (500) 

 1. 40 



As the yield increases (within the range of production cited), the 

 efficiency of labor and machinery used in harvesting increases substantially. 

 While production per acre increased 100 percent, labor and machinery use 

 increased only 13. 7 percent. 



Irrigation costs are not necessarily related to production. They vary 

 from year to year, depending on the irrigation program, availability of 

 irrigation water, need for irrigation, and so on. No doubt, a good job of 



