1921.] Accounts of a Hampshire Down Flock. 105 



It may be explained again that the accounts arc kept Oil a 

 •costs basis. The initial valuation is arrived at by taking the 

 number of flock ewes on 1st May (approximately the date of 

 weaning) at the average figure of £4 each. Old rams arc simi- 

 larly valued at £1 each. From 1st May the cost of keeping (a) 

 the ewes, (b) the selected ram lambs, (c) the ewe Lambs and 

 wethers is kept separately, and the valuations at Michaelmas 

 are made up of the flock ewes at their fixed £4 price and the 

 •cost of keep between 1st May and 11th October, any ram Lambs 

 remaining unsold at cost, also ewe lambs and tegs at cost. The 

 valuation figure has also to include the cost of any rams hired for 

 the coming season, and one-half cost of rams purchased. For 

 book-keeping purposes a pedigree suspense account is kept which 

 is debited with the cost of ewes and rams purchased for the flock, 

 one-half of the ram costs are charged to the flock in each of the 

 two years after purchase, and the cost of the ewes is similarly 

 spread over three years. The labour and horse labour items 

 represent actual costs; the crops that are folded off are charged 

 at two -thirds of the cost of cultivation, plus the cost of seed (the 

 manures and one-third of the cultivation, as representing clean- 

 ing costs, are passed on to the succeeding corn crops); hay. oats 

 and other foods grown on the farm are charged at market prices. 



An examination of the figures for the two years shows that 

 the costs of keeping the flock, high as they were in 1918-19, have 

 been greatly increased in 1919-20. The cost of the labour 

 directly employed upon the flock (one head and one assistant 

 shepherd and one labourer) has increased from £406 to £537. 

 Similarly the cost of the crops consumed, again largely labour, 

 has increased from £'673 to £978. The chief increase in the 

 expenditure comes, however, in the purchased foods, the cost of 

 which has risen from £'602 to £'1,462. To some extent this has 

 been due to a large number of lambs raised and to increased 

 prices, but the extra cost has been chiefly due to the fact that 

 during the year in question feeding stuffs were again obtainable 

 in quantity and were consumed on the principle of " no stint 

 and " the best is good enough for me " which prevails in the 

 rearing of pedigree stock. Less home grown oats and beans were 

 used, the grazing (92 acres of lattermath) on the other hand 

 cost rather more, but this cost is accidentally swelled by a very 

 heavy bill for fertilisers charged to the pastures, en which a 

 course of improvement is being carried out. L< ss hay was con- 

 sumed, but at the price then ruling, £18, the cost amounted to 

 L'566 as compared with £402 in the previous year. 



