20 
BULLETIN 858, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 
bale their straw and hay. The purchased feeds were figured at their 
actual cost at the feed store or on the track, plus the cost of hauling 
them home. The same methods were used in figuring the value of 
bedding. However, some of the bedding consisted of refuse hay and 
shredded corn stover left in the mangers, for which no charge was 
made. 
Table 10. — Average cost of feed per ton on the farm, including cost of grinding home- 
grown grains and hauling purchased concentrates. 
Feed. 
1915-16. 
Winter. Summer, 
1916-17. 
Winter. Summer. 
Purchased concentrates 
Home-grown grain 
Commercial carbohydrate hay. 
Noncommercial roughage 
Legume hay 
Succulent roughage 
$28. 51 
$27. 27 
$35. 89 
21.44 
23.66 
33.95 
10.20 
7.59 
10.90 
5.13 
7.35 
5.95 
12.83 
9.57 
12.89 
4.03 
4.08 
4.03 
$36. 58: 
40.2a 
11.41 
5.28- 
13.3* 
4.08 
i 
PASTURE. 
• The cost of pasture was determined by adding to the interest on the 
investment in land the cost of maintaining fences, and incidentals, 
such as seeding, cutting weeds, etc. The investment in land was 
obtained by subtracting the value per acre of the improvements 
on the farm, as determined by prorating their value in accordance 
with the quality of the different classes of land on a farm, from the 
improved value per acre. In one or two instances where land was 
rented at so much an acre for J3asturage purposes, this value was taken. 
The cost of pasture was distributed over the 6 summer months as 
nearly as possible in proportion to the quantity of feed the herd 
received from the grass each month. 
LABOR. 
The amount of different kinds of labor was obtained by timing the 
work performed during one entire day every month in each dairy* 
The rate per hour was computed each month for every farm on a basis 
of the number of hours available for work each month and the wages 
paid by that farmer, and any other expenses connected with the hired 
help, such as board and room or having a horse kept. The number of 
hours was found by using the average length of the working day, 
with time out for meals, and hours of work performed on Sunday. 
Board for hired help was computed on the basis of local rates. 
When these costs were tabulated, no charge for management was 
included. The labor performed by the managers was charged to the 
herds at hired men's rates. Although a charge for management 
should be included in the requirements for milk production, no 
satisfactory method was found for determining what this should be for 
all the dairies. 
